Exercise
As I stated in last week's article, a major factor in having healthy cells and a healthy life is the condition of the immune system. Incorporating a nutritional diet into our lifestyle habits and perhaps adding supplements to our health care program are two ways that we can help to enhance our immune system. There are other factors as well which we should consider as we begin this process to achieve better health. Let us take a look at that sometimes dreaded word, "exercise!"
Exercising also helps bolster the immune system. With exercise, some of the white blood cell components of the immune system circulate throughout the body more quickly, which means they have more opportunities to combat viruses and bacteria.
Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to become an athlete and exert maximum energy every day to use exercise as an immune booster! Researchers in Minnesota found that one exercise session a week was effective in reducing the risk of death from a variety of causes.
Regular exercise also reduces the risk of dying prematurely, of dying from heart disease, of developing diabetes, of developing high blood pressure, and of developing colon cancer. It also helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure; reduces feelings of depression and anxiety; promotes psychological well-being; helps control weight; helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints; and helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling. And we all thought that exercising was just to help us "look" better!
Another component in helping the immune system should be easy: relaxation. This means sleep, low stress, and a good attitude. When we sleep, our bodies recharge themselves: this means repairing tissue and healing, and fueling cells and organs. Sleep may be the single most important thing we can do to help our immune systems.
Stress hurts the immune system. Indirectly, when we worry about family, jobs, friends, or school, we often lose sleep and cannot relax. This takes valuable recharge time away from our immune systems. On a more technical level, recent studies have shown that stressful arguments change the level of hormones that promote or reduce immune system functions. A 1993 study demonstrated that immune function markers showed significant changes after newlywed couples had words on a sensitive topic. (My question is, how in the world did they get newlywed couples to do a study on the immune system while they were still on their honeymoon?)
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