The Corona Virus has taken a toll on everyone – and that includes us as well. The deadly virus has made it a challenge for us to continue our lives as normal. At a time like this, it has become vital for all of us to focus on our health –most importantly, our immune system. The system that can help us fight viruses and diseases that can otherwise prove deadly.
One way to boost your immune system and help fight against the deadly COVID-19 is to exercise regularly. There are unlimited benefits of exercising – it can boost your immune system, improve your overall health, be beneficial for your mental health, and so on. Exercising can promote good circulation that allows the cells and substance of the immune system to do their job more efficiently as they will be able to move through your body freely.
Exercising is just as important as a healthy diet for your immune system – it might even be more important!
Which exercise is the best for your immune system?
There are various types of exercises that you can do to boost your immune system. But the best exercise to do so is Strength Training.
Strength training is a type of exercise that improves your strength and stamina through its moves. It is more than just lifting weights and working on those arms; it is perfect if you want a healthy immune system.
When you do weightlifting and build your muscles, glutamine is produced. Glutamine is an amino acid that many cells in our immune systems need. Not only that, but our muscles also store protein – a compound that is created from amino acids that helps the body against the viruses by producing antibodies and helps combat sickness by producing white blood cells. This, in turn, leads to a strong and healthy immune system.
Barry’s Bootcamp instructor and celebrity trainer, Astrid Swan, told INSIDER: “Working out and especially strength training boosts your immune system as it is pumping blood throughout the body, relieving stress and releasing endorphins," Swan explained. "The body often gets sick under times of stress but working out, and lifting will help ease that stress."
However, there is still more research to do on this to confirm. But even so, strength training has unlimited benefits, so why not do it anyway?
Some of the basic exercises that come under strength training include the following:
- Lunges
- Squat to overhead raise
- Planks
- Pushups
- Pull-ups
- Deadlift
- Rows
There are many more exercises that you can easily find online.
One thing to remember: if you don’t regularly do strength training exercises, start slowly and gradually. It would not prove beneficial if you go all-in in the beginning. As you get stronger, you can increase the exercising.
Another thing to remember: Never exercise too much. Exercising too much can be just as harmful as not exercising. Find the right amount and do only that.
Other exercises
- Walking
Taking a short walk every day won't take up much of your time and will also help you feel better. A study kept track of 1,000 adults during flu season. The result showed those who walked 30-45 minutes a day had 43% less sick days than those who didn’t. So get your walking shoes on!
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Few exercises can get your heart pumping – like HIIT where you perform an exercise as hard as you can and then rest for the same amount of time.
Performing such exercises can significantly boost your immune system. If you are not used to exercising, you should start with strength training and walking before you come to HIIT.
Conclusion
Regular diet combined with a healthy diet is just what you need to boost your immune system (which is even more critical nowadays!), and these exercises will help you greatly in doing so!
