Health should be a year round priority and did you know that you can Boost your Immunity System with Exercise? Exercise and staying active is a frugal way to stay our healthiest. Whether we are on the path to financial independence or already enjoying our early retirement we have too much we want to do and don’t want to be sick.
I happen to be writing this during the holidays because it is a time when we tend to live with added stress even though we know we should be enjoying our time. We tend to stray from our healthier diets and overextend ourselves with all kinds of social gatherings, shopping for gifts, worship, and celebrations.
We are in close proximity with many people and our immunity system may be tested and called upon many times. Right when we have absolutely no time to be sick.
Regular exercise is a way to keep our bodies and immunity system in top condition. To stay healthy we must keep our immunity system strong to protect and defend our body against illness and to help quicken our recovery if we do fall to illness.
Boost Your Immunity System with Exercise – How It Works
When we are in movement it also results in our body’s immune cells being more active. Faster circulating immune cells are able to overcome and kill any invading viruses and bacteria easier.
The extra immune cell energy boost that is gained from our movement through exercise lasts hours after the workout ends.
Did you know that research has found that people who exercise regularly have fewer colds and sick days from work than those who don’t?
- Exercise makes us less vulnerable to illness by slowing our release of stress hormones. I know I come out of a workout less stressed than when I went into it.
- Exercise also helps us fight infection by raising our body temperature. I know I am exercising when I feel the heat turn up.
- Exercise causes us to sweat and increase our breathing. That in turn helps us flush out disease-causing bacteria from our bodies through our sweat and lungs. YUCK! Remember to wipe down the workout equipment after use.
You Can Boost your Immunity System with Exercise But Don’t Over Do It
There comes a point when exercise loses its health benefits. That happens when we go overboard and over exercise. Extreme exercise will stress our bodies too far and weaken our immunity system’s ability to fight off disease. This can occur with long and strenuous workouts of 90 minutes or more.
Boost your Immunity System with Exercise but don’t ignore other healthy actions.
Exercise is easily forgotten and for many people the first to thing to be sacrificed when we get busy. There are the other healthy habits that we need to also remember to keep as a priority to boost our immune system.
- Go to bed and get enough sleep.
- Manage and try to control your stress.
- Concentrate on eating healthy.
- Take your prescribed medication and any required vitamins/supplements that are part of your health routine.
- Don’t drink your immune system into drunken oblivion and avoid all tobacco smoke.
There you have it.
Go ahead and make a plan to Boost your Immunity System with Exercise.
Do speak with your Doctor before significantly increasing your exercise or activity level.
If you can’t talk while exercising then you may be pushing too hard and over doing it. Those of us who may be a little out of shape will need to take it slower and work towards things. It can take far less than the 90 minutes mentioned above if we push ourselves beyond or fitness level too quickly. It can end up taking things too far. We don’t want to exercise ourselves into a compromised immunity system.
Do you find that when you exercise regularly you are sick less?
Do you see yourself letting exercise slip away from your healthy living routine when life gets hectic?
Exercise has been part of my daily routine for over 33 years, I started regularly exercising after I graduated college. I can say it definitely helps control colds and other illnesses.
One of the things I’ve found that keeps exercise fun is to set goals. For example, 2 years ago I decided to cycle 50 miles (a half century). It was fun preparing for it and was fulfilling once I completed it.
A year later, my college aged son wanted to do it, so we trained and cycled 50 miles together. That was even more fun.
I blogged about it after I completed the 50 miles:
https://webetripping.wordpress.com/2013/11/01/mission-bike-a-half-century-50-miles/
Thanks for the comment Steve. Biking is definitely a great form of exercise. I read your 50 mile story. Thanks for sharing the link. Impressive. Here in Colorado biking is extremely popular. My town has several bike race events, long road races and mountain bike races. I see most hardcore riders have bikes that costs thousands of dollars. Some cost more than my modest primary car. You proved that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get into biking. My favorite bike cost $300 but I have never attempted 50 miles on it.
Tommy
Exercising regularly has changed my life, no exaggeration. I have more energy, less illness and aches and pains, more stable moods. It’s fantastic, and totally worth the effort. I run and lift weights every other day. I hike, swim, canoe, bike, skate in season.
Thank you for the comment Julie. You have the right way to stay active and healthy. It is varied doing things in a way that is sustainable as part of your lifestyle without getting bored or sick of it and quitting. Here is to your health. Cheers!
Tommy