Exercise for Immune Boost

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Exercise for Immune Boost

Exercise – What can it do for my immune system while in isolation?

When it comes to being isolated in your home for lengthy periods of time, the lack of exercise can often be detrimental to the immune system. Due to the self-isolation measures, it is important to maintain regular physical exercise to boost your immunity.

Man Exercising at Home

Exercise to Reduce Risk of Infection

Firstly, research supports that exercise can causes changes to both antibodies and white blood cells (WBC’s) in the body. WBC’s are responsible for the detection and destruction of foreign materials, either by destroying infectious agents, or producing antibodies. Exercise has shown to increase the production of antibodies in the body. Therefore, the risk of any bacterial or viral infections harming the body can be reduced through regular activity.

Furthermore, exercise can be helpful in mitigating the effect of a virus or bacteria already inside the body. Physical activity can be effective by flushing out the bacteria that may be in your lungs and airways, reducing the risk of infection. The rise in temperature that also occurs during exercise can also assist in the prevention of bacteria growing in the body.

Don’t Overwork Yourself

Although physical activity can be seen as an effective immune booster, it is important not to overwork yourself. If you have exercised prior to self-isolation, try to maintain what was working for you previously. However, it is vital for those who do not regularly exercise to improvise while in self-isolation and find ways to reach your 30 minutes of exercise every day, as you are not getting in normal day-to-day activities such as walking up and down stairs.

If you’re new to exercise or wanting to start after taking a long break, it’s important to gradually increase your amount of exercise over a period of time to avoid overuse injuries or over working yourself. Start off with the basics – read some of our blogs on getting started for some inspiration. Before long you’ll be able to experiment with some exercises and you’ll really enjoy it. It’s important to get a mix of strength training as well as cardiovascular

Above all, be sure to check in with family and friends during this time, we are all in this together.

If you would like to learn more, book an appointment with one of our physios at Pivotal Motion Physiotherapy. We are here to help you!

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