PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CAN help optimize the body's defenses against infection. And in the age of novel coronavirus, to many people, that's more important than ever. Taking the right approach to most effectively exercise in the name of immune health is key.
41_____________________________
The regularity of your exercise routine may be the most important factor in ensuring the immune benefits of activity, says Jim Beitzel, clinical athletic trainer and clinical coordinator for the Northwestern Medicine Athletic Training & Sports Performance Clinic in Warrenville, Illinois. For most adults, 60 minutes of exercise five days per week is the immunity sweet spot, he says. However, if you're new to working out, start small with perhaps 10 or 20 minutes of low-to moderate-intensity exercise per day, and increase your activity level over the course of weeks or months as you feel comfortable. As long as you stay consistent, every little bit will help.
42______________________________
A 2020 paper in Exercise Immunology Reviews confirms that increasing exercise intensity does not suppress immunity or increase the risk of infection. High-intensity exercise, generally considered to be anything that increases your heart rate to more than 85% of its max (220 minus your age), can be part of any exercise routine that's aimed at improving you immune health, Beitzel says. Options include running, cycling and rowing sprints as well as fast-paced plyometric strength training.
43_____________________________
Instead, illness following high-intensity exercise is typically related to inadequate recovery, according to the authors of the Exercise Immunology Reviews paper. As exercise intensity, frequency and duration increase, so does the amount of rest your body needs to recover from the stressors of exercise and grow back stronger, explains exercise physiologist Mike T. Nelson, based in Minneapolis. What's more, non-exercise-related stressors—such as financial worries, sleepless nights and existing illness—occur in large doses, so increasing your recovery efforts is important to recovering from exercise and reducing the risk of overstressing your systems, including your immune one, Nelson says.
44_____________________________
It's OK to enjoy one style of training more than the other, but for optimal immunity (and overall health), integrate both into your weekly routine, Beitzel says. Federal guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend engaging in 75 to 150 minutes of aerobic activity (the lower the intensity, the more time advised) per week and total-body strengthening activities at least two days per week. Examples of aerobic activity include jogging, swimming and cycling. Strength training can include bodyweight exercises (such as squats and pushups) as well as exercises such as rows and shoulder presses that use free weights, resistance bands or other equipment.
45_____________________________
Whether you're exercising in your living room or in a park, you can benefit your immune system. But there may be additional benefits of breaking a sweat outdoors. Being outside increases the body's levels of immune-system-supporting vitamin D, according to Parikh. Plus, taking your exercise outdoors may strengthen the immune system by activating the body's parasympathetic "rest and digest" system, according to 2015 research published in Frontiers in Psychology. This system works in opposition with your sympathetic "fight or flight" system to reduce physiological stress levels and lower inflammation that can inhibit healthy immunity.
A．Make sure to recover.
B．Focus on consistency.
C．Enjoy one style of training.
D．Don't be afraid of intensity.
E．Get outside.
F．Optimize the body's defenses.
G．Do both cardio and strength training.
