Exercising has many health benefits: it relieves stress, improves heart health and helps strengthen the body. But what is the relationship between exercise and the immune system? Does your exercise help or weaken your immunity?
There is no exact answer to this question, but all the experts agree on one thing: too much of anything is bad for your health. Long-term, high-intensity exercise can overload the immune system and leave us more vulnerable to infections for a while. On the other hand regularly practising physical activity the body is able to keep the immune system strong.
How our body works when we exercise
When doing any kind of exercise, the contracting muscle produces a substance called myocin, which is able to combat the body's inflammatory effects (the body responds positively by activating the immune system). Therefore, during and after training there is a reduction in inflammatory substances and an increase in anti-inflammatory ones.
The picture changes when you exercise at a higher intensity than your body can handle, forcing it to resist. In this situation, there is a risk that the body will produce more inflammatory substances, and consequently a greater chance of suffering an infection.
It's therefore essential to observe how your body reacts if something isn't right. It will send out a warning signal that the intensity with which we are exercising is excessive. The most common are dizziness, cramps and a drop in physical activity performance
We mustn't forget that it's also important to respect rest time, rest is essential for maintaining a balanced body and a properly functioning immune system.
How to exercise safely
Listen to your body's limits: especially for those people who start exercising, even though their bodies aren't conditioned for it, and choose to intensify their workouts in order to achieve quick results. The result will be the opposite: you'll increase the possibility of suffering serious muscle damage and a dysfunctional immune system. At this point it is very important not to exceed your limits and to be accompanied by a professional.
Watch the intensity: we should start our workouts with lighter loads and increase them as our body demands. Therefore, avoid running at high speed or overdoing the weight during weight training.
Hydrate yourself: don't forget to hydrate before, during and after training. During exercise the body loses a lot of fluid through sweat, so it's essential to control this deficit by replenishing the water eliminated, especially during the summer.
Take care of your diet: as well as natural menus and seasonal food, the astaxanthin consumption helps strengthen the immune system against external agents.
Do physical activities: if you don't have a favourite yet, try one at a time and choose the one you like best. This increases the chances of practising it and not giving up halfway through.