Exercise and the Immune System
Our Founder Peta getting some ‘help’ during her home workout
Exercise is well recognised to have an effect on how well our immune system functions.
Studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with fewer cases of influenza, pneumonia and even decreased mortality.
In fact, near-daily, moderate-intensity exercise reduces the symptoms and duration of the common cold better than most medications and supplements.
The immune system is made up of special organs, cells and chemicals that fight infection. When the body senses foreign pathogens (such as bacteria, viruses or parasites), a healthy immune system works in a coordinated way to try and stop the infection from spreading. It is through the immune response to infection that fever and inflammation in the body occurs.
The immune system is very responsive to exercise with both short-term and longer-term effects seen.
When you do moderate-to-vigorous activity such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling or swimming, a number of positive, short-term changes in your immune system occur, including enhanced movement of important immunity-related cells in the body.
Each bout of moderate physical activity will create these effects and, when repeated on a regular basis, will provide multiple health benefits including reduced incidence of illness and reduced inflammation.
Of course, not everyone’s immune systems are the same. Your immune system is also affected by your age, diet, smoking, alcohol intake, stress, sleep, medical conditions and certain medications.
Your immunity will gain the most benefits if you’re meeting the national exercise guidelines (check out these documents from the Department of Health), however even those who exercise moderately (say 3 times a week) will demonstrate improvements in their immune system.
So get you and your family moving today to reap the benefits when it’s most important!
REFERENCES
WONG C-M, LAI H-K, OU C-Q, HO S-Y, CHAN K-P, THACH T-Q, YANG L, CHAU Y, LAM T, HEDLEY AJ, PEIRIS JSM. IS EXERCISE PROTECTIVE AGAINST INFLUENZA-ASSOCIATED MORTALITY? PLOS ONE 3(5): E2108 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.00002108
NIEMAN DC, WENTZ LM. THE COMPELLING LINK BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND THE BODY’S DEFENSE SYSTEM. JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE. VOL 8(3): MAY 2019, P201-217 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.JSHS.2018.09.009
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. AUSTRALIA’S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR GUIDELINES AND THE AUSTRALIAN 24-HOUR MOVEMENT GUIDELINES. (ONLINE). AVAILABLE AT: HTTPS://WWW1.HEALTH.GOV.AU/INTERNET/MAIN/PUBLISHING.NSF/CONTENT/HEALTH-PUBHLTH-STRATEG-PHYS-ACT- GUIDELINES ACCESSED ON APRIL 20TH 2020.
AUTHORS: ELLIE GRIFFIN, RHEA PSERECKIS
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