Take Regular Exercise
Being active doesn’t just benefit us in terms of fitness, flexibility and weight and body composition management. Taking regular exercise also has benefits for the immune system. Scientists have discovered that exercising regularly can increase the prevalence of some of the cells of the immune system, including the T cells and natural killer cells.
Plus, just as the cytokines we mentioned above are beneficial, there are also pro-inflammatory cytokines, that can build up, causing inflammation and disease. Exercise also helps to reduce these inflammatory cytokines, helping to improve the immune response.
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, plus a few sessions of resistance exercise. This could mean three half hour jogging or brisk walking sessions plus two one hour sessions of yoga and two half hour High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions per week.
If you’re very busy, there are now numerous online fitness classes being arranged, that are all designed to be done at home with minimal space or equipment needed. Look out for exercise classes on YouTube or live on Instagram and Facebook. There’s something for everyone, even the kids who still need to keep active!
