Exercise + Immune Health

A healthy immune system protects our bodies from bacterial, viruses + other pathogens we encounter daily.

Here are 5 Ways Exercise Benefits our immune system!

• 1. Exercise Stimulates Immune Cells - exercise can support the increase in circulation of immune cells in our bodies helping us better prepare for a future infection by detecting it earlier.
• 2. Exercise Raises Body Temperature - research has shown that a rise in body temperature both during + after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing + help our bodies better start fighting an infection.
• 3. Exercise helps you sleep better - regular physical activity can contribute to better overall sleep quantity + quality. Sleep is hugely important to support our immune system, so getting in good quality ZZZZZ is essential
• 4. Exercise reduces inflammation - inflammation is a normal immune system response that our body uses to fight infection. Inflammation isn’t necessarily a problem, but when acute response remains uncontrolled, it can become chronic + can potentially lead to inflammatory diseases. Research has shown that exercise can reduce inflammation + keep our immune response in check.
• 5. Exercise reduces risk of heart disease, diabetes + other diseases - if we have any of these conditions it makes it difficult for our immune system to ward off infections. Exercise is hugely beneficial towards our cardiovascular health + lowering our resting pulse rate, meaning we can keep our immune system working efficiently.

However it is important that we consider the intensity of exercise. Super high intensity can have the opposite effect + put our body under stress + surpress our immune system. Short bouts of exercise with rest periods can maximize the effectiveness of our body’s inflammatory immune response, lowering our risk of chronic inflammation. Another reason Fitness Bites work so well - short focused + effective! Let me know if you want to chat more.