It seems pushing your body helps it fight off disease….
You’ve probably heard the advice: One of the best things you can do to keep healthy — especially as cold and flu season creeps up — is stay physically active.
This folk wisdom has been around for ages, but until recently, researchers did not have much data to support the idea. Now, scientists studying risk factors related to Covid-19 have turned up some preliminary evidence about the link between regular exercise and better immune defenses against disease.
When researchers reviewed 16 studies of people who stayed physically active during the pandemic, they found that working out was associated with a lower risk of infection as well as a lower likelihood of severe Covid-19. The analysis, published last month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, has generated a lot of enthusiasm among exercise scientists, who say the findings could lead to updated guidelines for physical activity and health care policy that revolves around exercise as medicine.
Experts who study immunology and infectious disease are more cautious in their interpretation of the results. But they agree that exercise can help protect health through several different mechanisms…
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People who followed guidelines recommending at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week seemed to get the most benefit. But even those who exercised less than that were more protected against illness than those who did not work out at all.
Researchers theorize that exercise may help fight off infectious bacteria and viruses by increasing the circulation of immune cellsin your blood, for example. In some small studies, researchers have also found that the contraction and movement of muscles releases signaling proteins known as cytokines, which help direct immune cells to find and fight off infection….
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Research also shows that exercise may amplify the benefits of some vaccines. People who worked out right after getting their Covid-19 vaccine, for example, seemed to produce more antibodies. And in studies of older adults who were vaccinated early during flu season, those who exercised had antibodies that lasted throughout the winter.
Exercise provides a slew of broader health benefits that may help reduce the incidence and severity of disease, said Dr. Stuart Ray, an infectious diseases specialist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Building a walk, jog, gym trip or sport of choice into your routine is known to help reduce obesity, diabetes and heart disease…