How to avoid getting sick over the holidays

My favourite indulgences over the holidays are Chinese takeout that we have with our friends on Christmas Eve, Italian wine, and a few shortbread cookies. I savour them so much because I don’t eat these things regularly, in fact, this is the only time of year that I eat Chinese takeout because that is my choice. However, it’s important to me to keep my regular resistance training regimen going through the holiday season and I’ll list a few reasons why below.

As a result of minimal sunlight, more time spent indoors (meaning less Vitamin D), an increase in sugar and alcohol intake, late nights socializing, and for a lot of folks, increased stress, we are more susceptible to infection and illness due to the nature of these things negatively affecting our immunity.

Regular resistance training with a high level of effort is shown to improve markers of immunity so long as an appropriate amount of recovery is accounted for. That said, it’s important to understand that exercise, in the short term, suppresses the immune system. So we need to modify the intensity and time spent exercising based on your current lifestyle.

For example, if you are trying to cram in a project before the new year, get your shopping done for the holidays, and/or host guests for the season it’s likely that your level of stress and resulting cortisol levels (the stress hormone) are elevated. In this instance, it might be better to dial down the amount and intensity of exercise you perform AND it is still really important to continue exercising.

Resistance training also has a very positive impact on blood sugar regulation. This means when you lift weights you are effectively decreasing circulating blood sugar. Chronic, excess circulating blood sugars contribute to inflammation, illness, and metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes. Resistance training is a great way to dampen the impact of excessive eating and drinking around the holidays.

By performing regular, high-effort resistance training we also improve our muscles insulin sensitivity. Meaning that blood sugar will be shunted towards storage in the muscles rather than stored as fat. Visceral fat, fat that is stored deep in our tissues like muscle and organs, is very inflammatory and it releases inflammatory molecules called ‘cytokines’. There are some instances of people who’ve contracted COVID-19 dying from a ‘cytokine storm’, basically an inflammatory response in which the body’s immune system attacks its own cells. Obviously a bad situation. When we lift weights our muscles release molecules called ‘myokines’ and the research indicates that these molecules have an anti-inflammatory effect, offsetting any existing inflammation from visceral fat to a degree. Not only that but there is evidence to suggest that hard exercise reduces visceral fat, thus also eliminating a source of systemic inflammation.

Lastly, strength training has very positive implications for mental and emotional health. It is a great stress reducer and has compounding effects that are long lasting when resistance training is consistent.

It is far too easy to use the holidays as an excuse to ‘go off the rails’, over eat and / or halt your exercise routine. It only takes 20-60 minutes per week to obtain most of the benefits mentioned above. Key takeaways and additional suggestions for keeping yourself healthy this holiday season / winter are listed below:

-    1-2 challenging full body strength training sessions per week

-    Daily activity/movement - going for a walk, skate, yoga, etc.

-    Prioritize sleep quality and quantity (8-9 hours / night) *arguably the most potent for protecting against illness*

-    Limit sugar and alcohol intake as these significantly suppress the immune system

-    Some forms of daily stress management: meditation, a walk in the woods, doing a puzzle, etc.

-    Vitamin D supplementation (very important for immune health)

-    Citrus fruits - Kiwi, oranges, grapefruits, etc. for Vitamins and minerals

I hope you enjoyed this blog and that you found it informative. Keep safe and well this holiday season, enjoy your Chinese food (or enter favourite indulgence here), and stay strong everyone!

As always if you have any questions or need help getting started on a resistance training program, feel free to reach out to us anytime!

Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice…

Happy Holidays everyone!

Matt & the OneUp Fitness team