The COVID-19 battle is not over, we’re still facing a global pandemic, unlike anything we’ve seen in over a century. Though the world is trying to recover, both people and economies, there is still a long way to go. Media is constantly talking about social distancing, maintaining 1.5m and the new touching elbows handshake, people are forced to wear masks and gloves, and businesses have had to pivot, quickly, to survive and adhere to the new normal.

This virus seems to be settling down, but will never truly go away. Will the second wave be worse than the first or will there be another virus that comes along in the next 5-10 years? Who knows. We are all told to take these precautions, and we should, because ultimately the reason for all these restrictions is to protect our health and reduce casualties.

From all the media that we’ve consumed over the last three months, one glaring gap of crucial information has been poorly addressed. How do we, as a population, improve our immunity to viral infections?

Why haven’t more professionals come forward to explain the importance of building your immunity and why haven’t major media outlets jumped on this idea of strengthening australians from the inside out?

So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. One of the many benefits to exercise is increasing your body’s ability to fight off foreign and sinister infections – and there’s plenty of evidence to prove it. When exercising at the right intensity (moderate) and being careful not to over-exert yourself (sessions less than 60 minutes) there is a significant increase in the anti-pathogen, or antiviral activity within the body’s tissues (Nieman & Wentz, 2019). With habitual exercise, these temporary improvements become more permanent, and the body’s overall immunity is enhanced  (Nieman & Wentz, 2019). This isn’t just good for fighting infection either. The benefits go further by decreasing systemic inflammation and hindering the progression of non-communicable diseases (e.g. diabetes, heart disease).

Some of us like a harder workout though, and you might have heard that high-intensity or prolonged bouts of exercise actually hinder your body’s immune defence – at least for a small window of time. It’s time we let this notion go. In fact, new and emerging evidence suggests that at worst, there are no negative effects on immuno-regulation when a person decides to crank up the heart rate (Campbell & Turner, 2018). Any link between the harder, more sustained bouts of exercise are more likely attributed to things like ongoing fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, psychological stress or specific environmental exposures (Campbell & Turner, 2018).

Thinking long-term, regular physical activity can also delay or limit immunological ageing (Campbell & Turner, 2018). This means that the normal, age-attributed decline in immunity can be hindered by a little more movement in your life.

Maintaining an active lifestyle is just as important as wearing a mask, so let’s get moving!

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References:

1. Yıldızgören, M. T. (2020). How Exercise May Affect The Immune System Against COVID-19? / Egzersiz COVID-19’a Karşı Bağışıklık Sistemini Nasıl Etkileyebilir? Spor Hekimligi Dergisi/Turkish Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(2), 186–187.
2. Woods, J. A., & Pence, B. D. (2015). Physical Activity, Exercise, and the Immune System: Three Lines of Research That Have Driven the Field. Kinesiology Review, 4(1), 118–125.
3. Baltopoulos, P. (2009). Exercise induced modulation of immune system functional capacity. Biology of Exercise, 5(1), 39–49.