COVID-19: Immune-Boosting with Exercise and Self-Care
How else can you support a healthy immune system? Get enough sleep, minimize your stress, and get regular exercise
-Byte x Black Oaks: Lower the Load Campaign
Day 13 of 14
Immune Support with Other Self-Care Strategies
Today we shift away from eating and consider other self-care strategies that are important parts of your healthiest immune system.
Keep moving! Studies show that 45 mins of daily walking 5 days per week (for 3-4 months) can lower duration of your common cold symptoms
That level of activity easily satisfies the The American Heart Association’s recommendation of 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate exercise for good heart health.
Get enough sleep (at least 8 hours for most adults). Missing a few hours of sleep for even one day can lead to a temporarily weakened immune system.
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Exercise and Your Immune System: Balance is the name of the game
Exercise
Studies show that a few months of moderate exercise in adults of all ages could boost the immune system so it works closer to its potential and falls victim to fewer days of common cold symptoms from upper respiratory tract infections.
Data also show that long-term moderate exercise (over months-to-years) can increase the activation of B and T cells in elderly non-frail adults. This suggests regular exercise may slow the natural age-related weakening of the immune system (called immunosenescence).
Balance is important. While moderate activity is beneficial, very strenuous exercise (like marathons) can have the opposite effect and temporarily lower your immune function, increasing your risk for infection.
Why Is Sleep So Important for The Immune System?
Many studies show that missing out on even 4-5 hours of sleep can temporarily weaken your immune system’s front line soldiers (your natural killer cells). These cells are essential to fighting viral infections in the short run.
Other clinical trials suggest that long-term sleep deprivation could impair your ability to make antibodies that provide immunity from viruses in the long run.
One trial showed that men who had only 1 day of sleep deprivation the night after a flu vaccine made 40% fewer antibodies 5 days later, compared to their well-rested counterparts.
When the sleep-deprived men resumed regular sleep for the next few weeks, the antibody gap disappeared. Both groups had the same antibody count 7 weeks after vaccination.
These results have to make you wonder if the temporarily sleep-deprived men’s antibody production would have ever reached normal levels if their sleep deprivation had continued long-term.
It’s also worth noting that sleep deprivation’s effect on the immune system extends outside of infection-fighting. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to increase in inflammatory cytokines- a process that increases your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Having trouble getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night? Try meditation or deep breathing to help you get to sleep
Try a free guided meditation from Lauren Ash of Black Girl in Om
Scroll down to see how to “triangle breathe” with an image from Coping Skills for Kids
