Friday, December 19, 2014

Winter Ways to Boost Your Immunity - 6

With the cold wind blowing and the snow falling, there’s bound to be a sniffle in the air. Some people seem to always be battling some kind of illness from December until March. But others rarely seem to be under the weather. What are those people doing differently to keep the colds away?

The secret is out (and it’s not found on a drug store shelf)! There are lots of ways to boost your immunity naturally – many that you can do without too much extra effort (just healthy decision making).

Here are 10 secrets to boosting your immunity this winter.

7.      Get Out and Exercise!

It’s no secret that exercise is good for your health. It benefits almost every part of your body – your heart, your lungs, your muscles, your sleep patterns, even your mood. And (surprise!) your immune system.

Research and experience has shown that exercise boosts immunity by improving the function of the cells designed to fight foreign invaders like bacteria. It seems that these cells work more slowly in people who don’t exercise regularly in comparison to those who do.  This immunity boost only lasts a few hours after you exercise, but that extra umpf could be what you need to ward off the latest cold.



Another great benefit to exercise is improved sleep. On days that you exercise, you will most likely have a more restful night’s sleep. Without getting too deep into the details, exercise helps your body regulate the hormones that control your sleep cycles. And when they are happy, you rest happy. And you don’t need a doctor to tell you that getting enough rest is an important part of getting over an illness. You do your best healing when you’re sleeping and exercising often improves the quality of your sleep.

Not to mention, even the smallest benefit to immunity is just one more plus to add to the pile of reasons to exercise and keep exercising. Start small when you’re not under the weather and keep it going as a regular healthy habit. I have yet to meet someone that said “you know, I really regret exercising today.”

Check back next week for the more ways to power through this cold season (and weather) to maintain a happy, healthy you.
Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks, Very helpful tips and a fantastic article full with detailed points. You just won a new regular reader! Herbal Choice

    ReplyDelete