Well folks, not to put you on a downer or anything but it’s approaching that time of the year again – cold and flu season.
According to those in the know the average American citizen picks up three colds – or respiratory infections – every year. For those with a regular fitness routine, like us here at Overland Park Boot Camp, that’s bad news as it’s always better to rest and avoid exercise for at least a few days (or until you feel you’re over the worst) if you have a cold in order to allow the body to repair itself. So how do we make sure we don’t have to cut back on our beloved exercise routines?
One way to avoid picking up a cold this fall and winter is to boost your overall immunity, ensuring your body isn’t comprised and an easy target for germs to invade.
There are a number of things you can do to boost your immunity, and exercise is one of them. According to The American Council on Exercise, there is a direct correlation between exercise and the immune system. In other words, taking a form of daily exercise can actually boost your health, making it less likely that you’ll succumb to a cold or infection.
But don’t overdo it. Researchers claim too much, or too intensive an exercise program, can have the reverse effect by depleting the immune system, making catching a cold more likely. That’s because high volume exercise such as marathon running or competition training, can result in too much of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
Other ways to boost your immune system
- Get the right nutrition. In other words, ensure you’re taking enough proteins, carbs, vitamins and minerals by eating a balanced diet. Ensure you get anti-oxidants from fruit and vegetables and enough vitamin C in particular
- Get plenty of sleep. Your body repairs itself in sleep so it makes sense to give it as much rest as it needs. That definitely means no burning the midnight oil. In addition, while sleeping our bodies produces cytokines – cells which help fight infection, inflammation, and stress
- Learn to relax. Again, your body needs time out to catch up with any excess exercise or strain it has encountered during the day. And that means mental stress as well. So, no fretting or worrying otherwise you’ll end up staying awake at night making it a double negative
Do you have any other ideas to boost immunity you’d like to share with us here at Overland Park Boot Camp?
