These days, we’re all thinking about the best way to navigate our day-to-day life with the ongoing pandemic; whether it’s wearing a face mask or exercising social distancing to help prevent the spread of the disease. Keeping your immunity on top form is key to protecting yourself so you need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to support it.
Our immune system is composed of cells, tissues, organs, and other substances, and it helps the body fight infections and other diseases. So, just like your training routine, these immunity-boosting practices will help to better your body:
1 Get moving.
However you choose to do it, regular exercise is important to an overall healthy lifestyle so if you’re running, lifting, swimming or dancing, make sure you’re moving.
Exercise has numerous benefits related to cardiovascular health, blood pressure, weight maintenance, mood and mental health. This proves beneficial to immune health, as well as improving circulation, which may help the body’s immune system work more effectively- just be sure to allow your body to recover fully from a workout.
2 Stay motivated.
Having a powerful sense of purpose and getting involved in things you care about can have a profound influence on our health and well-being. Whether it’s volunteering with a charity or diving into a passion project, having a reason to get out of bed in the morning is an important part of caring for both mental and physical health.
3 Reduce your stress.
Easier said than done? Sure. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. Whether you read a book, take a drive, socialize with friends or do yoga, reducing stress is vital.
When your body is stressed your Immune systems are more susceptible to attack, meaning you’re more likely to get sick.
4 Get some sleep.
Sleep is a critical time to rebuild and restore body systems, and it plays a major role in our immune system’s functionality and health. If we’re getting poor sleep either in quality, quantity or both it can negatively impact our immune system.
Prioritise your health over late night scrolling or swiping and improve your sleep by limiting screen time, blacking out your room, and not eating too close to bed.
5 Add some probiotics.
Consuming probiotic-rich foods is a highly effective way to promote a healthy immune system. They actively repopulate your gut with healthy bacteria and can be found in live yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, apple cider vinegar, miso and kimchi.
6 Stay social.
It may be harder to meet up for dinners or hop on a plane like we used to, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo all connection with friends and family. Keeping up those meaningful connections with others (like friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors) is an often overlooked part of good mental and physical health.
7 Eat clean.
This should go without saying but, if you want great immunity, lean into eating clean, whole, non-processed foods that can deliver more than just calories and macros but are packed with powerful micronutrients too.
Processed foods with added sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and alcohol can harm your immune function, increase inflammation or affect insulin levels.
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