There’s no question about whether exercise does a body good. Exercise boasts a range of fantastic benefits, from reducing your risk of disease, helping you manage your blood sugar and insulin levels, aiding in weight control, sharpening your thinking and learning skills, improving your mood, and more.
But with threats such as the common flu and COVID-19 being ever-prevalent, what good does exercise do to strengthen an individual’s immune system? Your immune system is important for fighting off disease-causing invaders – but it can fail. However, there are ways – alongside diet, supplementation and quitting smoking/reducing alcohol intake – that can strengthen your immune system.
The immune system – in a nutshell
Your immune system is essential all your physiological systems and mechanisms which allow your body to identify which materials are unknown and then defend itself accordingly. We have nonspecific immunity and acquired or adaptive immunity.
Nonspecific Immunity
Think of nonspecific immunity as the “first line of defense” in the body. It is the mechanism which defends against potential invaders and prevents any pathogens from making their way into the body. If these pathogens manage to find their way in, the nonspecific immunity activates a response.
Examples of nonspecific immunity might include the ability of one’s stomach acid to dissolve large organisms or the activation of the inflammatory response.
Acquired/Adaptive Immunity
Oppositely, this immunity type is the specific immunity as it depends on the body’s ability to recognize potentially harmful pathogens ad infections agents. Acquired immunity is acquired because the body will have had to been exposed to the offender beforehand for it to be recognized.
The impact of exercise on the immune system
As it has been proven again and again that exercise training can produce an anti-inflammatory influence on the body, some form of habitual exercise routine might prove beneficial to strengthening an individual’s immune system.
Keep in mind that an immune system is, after all, an immune system – and all systems require some degree of balance in order to function. You can’t suddenly pick up the weights but continue to eat garbage and smoke and expect to suddenly have an enhanced immune system. As we know exercising is good for us in that it strengthens our bones, boosts our metabolisms, and reduces inflammation, we can expect that it contributes to a healthy immune system. But this must be complimented with:
- A healthy weight
- 7-8 hours of sleep at night
- Minimized stress
- Drink alcohol in moderation (if you drink)
- Not smoking
- A diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables
Concluding thoughts
Practicing some form of exercise regularly, in combination with a healthy lifestyle, can help to strengthen the immune system and protect against illness. There are some myths about the effect of a single exercise bout temporarily “boosting” an individual’s immune system over a short period of time; habitual exercise is necessary to achieve a healthy immune system.
Overall, exercise may not be a magical “immune booster” – but it can certainly help! Regular exercise benefits our lives in so many different ways and given circumstances with COVID-19, it is never a bad thing to try to remain as healthy as possible.
Campbell, John P, and James E Turner. “Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan.” Frontiers in immunology vol. 9 648. 16 Apr. 2018, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00648
Keast, D., K. Cameron, and A. R. Morton. “Exercise and the immune response.” Sports Medicine 5.4 (1988): 248-267.