A healthy immune system is important all the time, but some people are paying more attention to protecting theirs these days. It makes sense, and it’s easier than you think. Research shows that exercise has been proven to boost the immune system, helping it more efficiently target harmful pathogens. As we get older, the importance of exercise only increases,and its role on the immune system is one reason why. Regardless of your age, here are three kinds of exercise to boost the immune system.
Resistance Training
Resistance or strength training is just what it sounds like – exercise intended to improve the body’s strength through strategic push or pull movements. By introducing resistance to the body stress the muscles, we cause micro tears. The body adapts to these stressors, healing the muscles and growing them bigger and stronger as a result.
Bodyweight resistance is enough in the beginning to elicit these changes. As your fitness grows, increasing weight, number of sets and repetitions, even minimizing rest time between sets can help you continue to see changes.We know that strength training increases muscle mass and decreases body fat, as well as improving coordination, boosting bone density, minimizing back pain, and even improving cognitive function. All that, and you get the benefit of an immune boost too.
High-Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a method of training in which you work as hard as you can for 20 to 60 seconds, rest for the same timeframe, and repeat for a predetermined number of rounds. Unlike steady-state exercising, this approach means the heart rate is significantly elevated for small windows. It’s a hard workout, but working so hard means you can keep it quite short.
Walking
If you’re worried about getting started in the gym, Paul Fischer, an experienced and credentialed personal trainer here in Reno, is ready to help. Contact him today to learn more about what he offers. In the meantime, make a point of getting outside to walk. Just 30 minutes of walking every day can offer a big benefit to your body and mind.