Frequent exercise enhances and may even delay the ageing of your immune system, according to a review in Frontiers in Immunology. The belief that your immune system is temporarily suppressed post-workout is shifting.
“Researchers had thought that because there are fewer immune cells in your blood one or two hours after exercise, those cells were dying or being deleted,” says lead author John Campbell, Ph.D. “Actually, those cells are moving to other parts of the body and into other tissues to look for potential pathogens.”
In fact, he says, the harder you go, the more immune cells move into the blood and then off hunting pathogens. Your best bet? Exercise on the regular, and mix up your intensity.
Another exercise benefit is that the lean muscle you build revs not only your metabolism but also your immunity: “If you have a higher muscle mass and you exercise, certain proteins are released from the muscle, and this is thought to have protective effects against cancer and other diseases,” says Campbell.
“You want to train to maintain your functional longevity,” says Jay Wright, the founder and CEO of the Wright Fit and TWF Performance Lab in New York and a Shape Brain Trust member. “Human beings were designed to run, jump, lift, and carry things, so we design routines around compound exercises that reinforce our natural movement patterns.”
Start with this do-it-all functional strength routine from Lauren Bustos, trainer at Performance Lab by The Wright Fit. It’ll build functional strength, get your heart rate up, and challenge you just enough to boost your immune system without totally knocking you off your feet.
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