5 Ways to Optimize Your Immune System

The topic of immunity is more popular than ever. We’ve heard and seen some interesting “ways” to boost your immune system:

Taking a trillion grams of vitamin C
Sweat it out with a 10 mile run
Eat only fruits and vegetables and avoid all chocolate and wine on Tuesdays

What!?

Okay those may not be real, but the point is there’s some wacky advice and quick fixes out there about how to improve your health and immune system.

And although it may not be easy, it’s quite simple.

Focusing on behaviors that contribute to better health will fortify your immune system over time.

Here are 5 ways to get started:

1. Get Quality Sleep

We have so many demands on our time—jobs, family, errands—not to mention finding some time to relax and have fun. To fit everything in, we often sacrifice… Sleep.

But sleep has an impact on our mental and physical health. It’s vital for gaining strength, preventing illness, recovering from injury, and your overall well-being.

Of course, sleep helps you feel rested each day. But while you’re sleeping, your brain and body don’t just shut down. Internal organs and processes are hard at work throughout the night.

Sleep can be POWERFUL… if we get enough of it.

We know about the many benefits of getting good quality sleep, but what about the effects of NOT getting a good night’s rest?

Check out these side effects of sleep deficiencies:

Long Term Mood Disorders
Sickness
Diabetes
Infertility
Weight Gain
Low Libido
Heart Disease

Have you ever thought about if the sleep you are getting at night is quality sleep? It helps to see exactly what’s happening while you sleep.

We’ve found some great apps you can use to track and/or enhance your sleep:

Sleep Cycle (The Perfect Workout favorite!)
Sleep Better
Calm
Sleep Pillow sounds
CARROT Alarm
Digipill
Autosleep

Below are more tips that may help improve your sleep tonight!

One of the best ways to get better sleep is strength training. Learn more about how our Strength Training Programs can help you!

2. Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods

My parents always told me, “Veggies are your anti-disease foods because they are nutrient dense and help fight off infection and support white blood cell strength.”

Start by swapping out a few processed foods from your diet with an “anti-disease” option. See ideas below:

Source: Precision Nutrition

3. Lower Your Stress Levels

Stress is a natural reaction to life. But having too much stress or prolonged periods of stress can wreak havoc on the body and actually increase your chances of getting sick.

Watch this video on stress and how it can hurt your health!

Play Video

There are countless ways to alleviate stress, just as long as we create time for them!

Below are some ways to kick stress to the curb.

Exercise…. We’ve got you covered there!
Spending time outdoors
Spending time with pets (puppy therapy is a real thing!)
Breathing exercises
Meditation
Journaling
Yoga
Prayer
A good night's rest
Taking Breaks!

One of our favorite ways to alleviate stress is the use of breath.

That’s right! Breathing properly can actually reduce stress (and help you achieve a better workout!)

Try out some of these simple everyday breath patterns you can use to melt stress away, any time of day.

We couldn’t talk about stress relief and NOT mention exercise. We all know exercise is good for us, and it does wonders to help us reduce stress levels (3).

Exercising releases endorphins- you can't feel bad when you're feeling good
Makes you feel better and empowered
Helps improve the quality of your sleep
Strength Training produces more endorphins than cardio
Can reduce risk of heart disease

4. Up Your Water Intake

We could chat for hours on this subject because water is so vital to your overall health and goes beyond just feeling hydrated.

Drinking plenty of water helps you have a successful workout (4) as well as:

Lubricate your joints and body’s systems so that everything moves & runs smoothly
Regulate body temperature (which can be helpful in burning more fat!)
Boost metabolism
Protect organs & tissue
Clear your bladder and flushes out toxins in your system
And so much more!!

Watch this video for a deeper dive into what water can do for you and your body and how you can get started and work your way to drinking enough water.

Play Video

5. Exercise… The RIGHT Way

You might think that exercising more is a surefire way to fight off viruses.

Actually, too much physical stress (including exercise stress) can cause the body to react in unfavorable ways. You want just the right amount of high-intensity exercise stress for optimal improvements, and no more. Learn More.

If you want to get optimal results you need to place value on resting and recovering from your workouts.

Studies show that consistently exercising helps increase immunity and decrease chances of getting sick.

Luckily, engaging in effective exercise does not require a big behavioral shift.

All you need is 20 minutes with the right method and the accountability of a Personal Trainer to get results.

In case you haven’t seen enough benefits already… Slow-motion strength training is proven to provide countless benefits including (5):

Greater strength
More endurance
Additional calorie-burning lean muscle tissue
Reversing age related muscle loss (sarcopenia)
Increased metabolism for how many calories you burn even while you're resting
Improved fat loss
Stronger bones
Reversing aging of muscle cells (express younger DNA in the nuclei)
Improved cardiovascular fitness
Improved cholesterol levels
Lower blood pressure
Improved low back pain
Better blood sugar control
Improved immune system
And many more!!

science behind strength training with trainers

The Science Behind Slow-Motion Strength Training and Why it's Perfect For You

The Science Behind Slow-Motion Strength Training and Why It's Perfect For You “For years I spent hours in the gym, 5 days a week, not

Let’s recap

If you want to optimize your immune system, there are 5 behavioral changes that will help.

Get quality sleep
Eat nutrient dense foods
Lower stress levels
Drink more water
Slow-motion strength training

Did you know these are key ingredients for most (if not all) health and wellness goals?

Want more guidance—
Start HERE.

References:

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O’Connor, P.J., Herring, M.P., & Caravalho, A. (2010). Mental health benefits of strength training in adults. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4: 377; pp. 377-396. DOI: 10.1177/1559827610368771
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