Exercise And Immune System: How Physical Activity Boosts Your Health!

If you want to keep your immune system healthy and robust, it is a great idea to exercise regularly.¹ Along with other important factors like eating a balanced diet,² getting adequate sleep,³ maintaining a healthy weight,⁴ and minimizing stress, regular physical activity strongly affects your immunity and helps you avoid infections.

Immunity-boosting balance

First of all, you should remember that exercise and immunity are closely connected and activity can affect your immune system in both ways. This means that if you engage in regular, but moderate physical activity, your risk of Illness is lower than in a person leading a sedentary lifestyle.⁵ On the other hand, if you do a lot of physically demanding endurance exercises, your immune responses can be suppressed, putting you more at risk of infection.⁶ So, if your goal is to boost your immune system, moderate and regular exercise is your best choice.⁷

How exercise helps strengthen your immunity

Physical activity supports your immune system in many ways and helps it fight illness.⁸

Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. Endorphins are responsible for the "runner's high" and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts — or, at least, the hot shower after your exercise is over.⁹

Mother and her child exercising together

Choose an activity you enjoy!

If you want to get active, it’s best to choose a type of activity that suits your lifestyle. If you’re already living an active lifestyle and exercise is part of your daily routine, keep at it: an even more intensive exercise regime won’t help improve your immunity even further.¹⁰ But if you aren’t particularly active, start by finding time for exercise several times a week.

Walking: You can start going for a walk every day for 20 to 30 minutes. Walking is easy to incorporate into your day: you can walk to work instead of taking a bus, take your dog on little adventures to the nearest park and back, or meet a friend every day for a chat and a walk.
Cycling: Increasingly popular with all age groups, cycling is a great way to get your workout in and get where you need to go every day. If you live in a big city with frequent traffic jams, taking a bike ride instead of driving can quickly become a pleasant, relaxing beginning and end to your working day. Taking family bike trips is also a great way to bond, have fun, and exercise together.
Strength training: When we talk about weights, we normally think about the gym. Going to the gym every other day.
Swimming: whether at the beach or the swimming pool, swimming is a great activity you can do all year. As an exercise performed in water, it reduces the stress in the joints, increases a person’s physical strength, and reduces body fat!¹¹
Football (and other team sports): Team sports are not only a great way to exercise, but also to form and maintain friendships. You can usually find local amateur teams playing football at the nearest field, or you can start a team of your own with friends!
Playing with kids: Your kids have boundless energy and they love spending time with you, so why not treat playtime as an opportunity to get your exercise? You can play catch or hide and seek in your backyard, teach your kids to play ball or simply go for a family run!

Whichever type of physical activity you choose, exercising makes you feel more energized and can improve your overall sense of wellbeing. So start including exercise in your daily routine today, develop a good habit and enjoy feeling healthier!

References:

1. How to prevent infections. Harvard Medical School, 2016. (Accessed 10/02/2020, at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-prevent-infections.)
2. Cox AJ, Gleeson M, Pyne DB, Callister R, Hopkins WG, Fricker PA. Clinical and laboratory evaluation of upper respiratory symptoms in elite athletes. Clin J Sport Med 2008; 18:438-445.
3. Cox AJ, Pyne DB, Saunders PU, Callister R, Gleeson M. Cytokine responses to treadmill running in healthy and illness-prone athletes. Med Sci Sport Exerc 2007; 39:1918-1926
4. Gleeson M, McDonald W, Pyne D, Cripps A, Francis JL, Fricker P et al. Salivary IgA levels and infection risk in elite swimmers. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999; 31:67-73
5. Exercise and immunity https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007165.html

How Redoxon®
helps support your
immune system

Your body is equipped with powerful natural defences and your immune system has many ways of dealing with threats from bacteria and viruses.¹² The Immune system is made up of three main defense mechanisms; Physical barriers (skin and mucosa), cellular barriers (white blood cells) and antibodies.¹³ Nutrients such as vitamins are essential to the health and function of this complex network.¹⁴

In our fast-paced world of fast food and pre-cooked meals, it may be challenging to consume adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables delivering all the vitamins we need to fully support our body functions. An inadequate intake of vitamins can negatively affect the immune system and overall health.¹⁵ That’s where Redoxon® comes in. Our Vitamin C product is designed to help support your immune system.¹⁶

Learn more

Redoxon® for a healthier immune system

You need to look after your immune system. Even though it may not feel like it, your immune system works 24 hours a day.¹⁷ Just as a plant needs water and sunlight, your immune system needs regular nourishment to support the body’s defence systems.¹⁸

Together with a healthy lifestyle including physical exercise and good nutrition, supplements like Redoxon® provide the foundation for a strong immune system all year round.¹⁹

In 1934, we pioneered the world’s first Vitamin C supplement, and we’ve been helping people keep their natural defenses in top shape. Today our own Vitamin C supplement helps to support your immunity every day.^{18 19}