Exercise & Immunity

Exercise & Immunity

By: Matt Mombourquette, B.Sc.Kin, Trainer, Owner OneUp Fitness

October, 2021

Introduction

Disease immunity is a hot topic, and in this article we share some of the research on exercise and immune function. Additionally, we will quickly outline what you can do for yourself to keep your immune system strong and resilient from all viruses (including COVID-19) and other pathogens.

A widely shared opinion on immune health is that exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress appear to be the primary factors that influence immune health. This article will focus primarily on the role that exercise plays in immune function.

Research

In a 2018 article published in the Frontiers of Immunology the researchers review papers that outline the positive impact of exercise on our immune systems stating that: “…1-2 hours post exercise results in…a heightened state of immune surveillance and immune regulation” and that “frequent exercise enhances immune competency.” Reports from human vaccination studies indicate that there are “heightened responses to bacterial and viral antigens following bouts of exercise.”

This is to say that regular exercise appears to strengthen our immune system’s ability to “seek and destroy” viruses and pathogens in our bodies.

The final part of this review paper states that “regular exercise might limit or delay aging of the immune system, providing further evidence that exercise is beneficial for immunological health.”

Another review paper from 2020 published in Clinical and Experimental Medicine concludes that “The benefits of regular exercise…for the immune system in respiratory infections such as COVID-19 include increased immunovigilance [search and detect for pathogens] and improved immune competence, which help in the control of pathogens, a fact that becomes more important considering the immunosenescence [gradual deterioration of the immune system] and susceptibility of the elderly population to severe infection.”

In other words, the authors conclude that regular exercise helps our immune systems to search, detect, and control pathogens and viruses (like COVID-19) and may contribute to slowing the deterioration of our immune systems as we age.

Finally, in a paper published in the Journal of Immunology Research in 2018, researchers looked at the impact of a single strength training session on markers of inflammation and immune response. They concluded that “According to these results, a single session of strength exercise protocol could change the physiological and immunological parameters and stimulate the production and release of important myokines.” (Myokines are a form of protein released from muscles that have beneficial effects on metabolism, inflammation and potentially immune function. They appear to be stimulated by resistance exercise. Research is still new on these molecules but it is promising).

Takeaways and suggestions

Just with these few cited studies it seems clear that exercise is an important factor in the health of our immune systems and helping to stave off viruses, infections, and other pathogens in our bodies.

If you don’t already, consider incorporating a strength training routine regardless of how ‘active’ you are. Walking, biking, and swimming are certainly beneficial activities for improving immune function and should be done with weekly strength training workouts. The benefits of strength training are myriad and the convenience of dedicating as little as 30-60 minutes per week to get fantastic benefits is easy to maintain.

We’d be remiss not to mention that a good, consistent quality of sleep is arguably the most important immune building ‘activity.’ In addition, a healthy diet and stress management practices like breathing techniques, mindfulness, nature bathing, and meditation are hugely impactful for building our defences against viruses and pathogens.

One final word

We rely on our medical professionals to direct us towards preventative social and medical practices to keep us safe from illness and disease like COVID-19. However, most of the responsibility and the work required to stay healthy is on us.

Empowering ourselves with knowledge about our own bodies, how they can perform optimally, and how we can build resilience against disease is largely our own responsibility. We need to take charge of our own health and build the habits and practices necessary to not only survive this life, but thrive in it. Let us take the necessary steps to lead our lives in confidence and health instead of fear and sickness; regular strength training is a great first step.