Fitness and the Immune System
Science is well known for disagreement. In virtually every field scientists the world over argue over the details, principles and theories. However, in one area there is agreement. There is no doubt that exercise and fitness boost the immune system. In short a fitter person will generally be healthier.
Science is well known for disagreement. In virtually every field scientists the world over argue over the details, principles and theories. However, in one area there is agreement. There is no doubt that exercise and fitness boost the immune system. In short a fitter person will generally be healthier.
No reputable researcher will claim that exercise will repair a weakened or diseased immune system. Nonetheless, a broad spectrum of studies confirm that moderate exercise can help sustain and strengthen it, even when the effects are indirect.
Fitness & Stress
The role of exercise in helping to lower stress, and the subsequent beneficial effects on health, has been widely studied. Here the studies are less clear, contradicting one another in some details. But overall the conclusion is the same. Moderate, regular exercise helps the immune system by moderating the effects of stress.
Most studies carried out over the last 30 years agree. A continual high level of stress has a number of harmful effects on overall health. People who experience high stress get more colds, suffer more digestive tract problems and have more frequent bouts of fatigue. Part of the latter is indirect, since it tends to lead to lowered amounts of restful sleep.
Regular exercise helps relieve stress. It does so directly, by providing an outlet for, and consuming much of, the nervous energy produced by stress. It also helps indirectly by shifting focus away from the external factors producing the stress.
Physical effects
Exercise can help the cardiovascular system. This has the effect of
• improving blood flow, carrying away toxins from muscles and organs
• helping keep the kidneys and endocrine system working well
• assisting in removing germs and circulating vital antibodies.
All those promote a healthy immune system by lessening susceptibility to disease, while increasing the robustness of the immune system itself.
Exercising increases the body temperature slightly. This, as anyone who has suffered from a cold knows, is the natural response to colds, flu and other diseases. The increased temperature helps kill the infecting organisms.
A University Study
A study at the University of Colorado, Boulder, suggests that moderate exercise helps prevent colds as well. It showed that individuals are less likely to get sick after stressful situations when they had engaged in a regular program of moderate exercise. Those that began exercise only on the same day as the stressor did not enjoy those benefits.
The study was carried out on rats, but one of the reasons those mammals are used is the similarity in some systems, and their responses, to humans.
Final Thoughts
Exercise programs, undertaken consistently and correctly, help improve body image. That is one of the primary goals for most people in making the effort, after all. That improved body image often leads to higher levels of confidence and relaxation in social situations. That in turn helps reduce stress and enhance the immune system.
In conclusion the evidence does strongly suggest exercising and fitness can help you support and enhance your immune system. The end result of this will be better overall health.
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