Help your body fight off pathogens by boosting immunity with regular exercise

Regular exercise will boost your immune system and your body will be ready to fight off all invading pathogens. Read on to know more.

A sedentary lifestyle leads to many health problems. It can give you diabetes, heart disease and obesity. If you want to enjoy overall fitness and health, you need to exercise daily. Today, since we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to boost your immunity too. One of the best ways of doing so is by regular exercise. But that does not mean that you need to exercise all the time. Just give an hour everyday to some form of physical activity. This will boost your immune system and your body will be ready to fight off all invading pathogens.

EXERCISE AND ITS EFFECT ON IMMUNITY

A study in the Journal Sport and Health Science says that obesity coupled with a sedentary lifestyle makes your immune system sluggish. But if you undertake some physical activity on a regular basis and take up some form of workout routine, you can improve your immune response significantly. You don't even have to visit a gym for this. Just 30 to 60 minutes of brisk walking every day can do the trick. It does so by facilitating the transfer of white blood cells between peripheral tissues and the circulatory system. This boost immune cells activity in the bloodstream and enables them to deal with pathogens proactively. It also helps you recover faster from any infections.

A WORD OF CAUTION

Any kind of physical activity is good. But you must not overdo it. Too must strain on the body can slow down your immune response. So, it is important to go about it in moderation.

BEST EXERCISES TO GIVE A BOOST TO YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

There are many workout routines that you can choose from. But we reveal the three best exercises that can help you boost your immune system.

Strength Training

This improves your body's strength and stamina. You can start with a Push-Up. Here is how you do it.

Get down on all fours and place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Keep your arms and legs straight.

Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. The pressure must be on your shoulders and legs.

Pause for a beat and then push yourself back up.

Walking and Hiking

This is simple enough. You can just take a walk in the neighbourhood or walk down to the market. Walk short distances instead of taking the car. Or if you stay in a hilly region, go for a trek in the hills. It will increase your heart rate and build your muscles and bones. This is one of the best ways to boost immunity and build endurance.

High-Intensity Interval Training

Here, you perform an exercise as hard as you can, for a set time and then resting for the same amount of time. It's a very strenuous form of exercise but the benefits are many. You can start with a Single-Leg Burpees. Here's how you can do it.

Lower your body into a squat and place your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet.

Jump your feet back with only one foot touching the floor and lower your body to the ground.

Bring your feet back to your hands, then jump into the air on that same foot without letting the other touch the ground.

Go directly into the next rep without touching down.

Repeat for 30 seconds on each side.