The immune system is the body’s way of protecting itself against microbes that might cause a viral, a bacterial or a fungal infection as well as eliminating toxins, which can also lead to disease.

While most of the body’s systems have a single organ controlling them (for example, your brain controls your nervous system and your heart controls circulatory system), there is not one central organ that controls immunity. Instead, the immune system is controlled by antibodies, white blood cells and lymph nodes as well as all of the organs to a certain extent. Cells that constitute the immune system are formed in the lymph nodes located in various joints throughout the body, the thymus gland in the chest, the tonsils, adenoids and spleen, in the small intestine and in bone marrow.

Your body’s immune system has an amazing ability to learn about germs(microbes)  so when it comes into contact with them again, it can fight them. So why does this amazing system go wrong sometimes? Unfortunately, we don’t know how to keep it strong and healthy, and very often, we sabotage it by the choices we make in everyday life.

Factors which may have compromising effects on your immune system are:

●       drinking alcohol;

●       smoking;

●       lack of proper sleep;

●       stress and anxiety;

●       lack of Vitamin D (this is why we get more viruses during the darker days of winter);

●       poor diet lacking in antioxidants; low intake of fruit and veg;

●       high-fat diet (as the liver has to work harder);

●       some medications;

●       lack of exercise/movement ;

●       use of harsh chemicals at home or workplace;

●       high sugar intake:

●       too little time outdoors:

●       compulsive negative thinking

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As you can see, there’s a lot of factors that can impact your immune system and cause diseases, and it’s important to be aware of them. However, remember that choosing a healthy and balanced lifestyle will turn things around and you’ll be able to enjoy your life with less frequent illnesses.

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Here’s what you can do to support and strengthen your immune system:

●       reduce alcohol intake - you don’t have to stop drinking alcohol completely, sensible and occasional use won’t hurt,

●       eat well - a diet full of vitamins, minerals and microelements is the key to a strong and healthy body;

●       get a good sleep - if you’ve been suffering from  insomnia, try herbal remedies, meditation, short walks before bed time;

●       get outside as much as possible,

●       lower your fat and sugar intake - again you don’t have to eliminate them completely, find out which fats are the ‘’good fats’’ and how you can replace sugary snacks

for more healthy ones;

●       avoid medication if they’re not necessary, try natural or herbal remedies first;

●       stop smoking;

●       get active;

●       watch your thoughts and try to think positively;

●       stress less

Out of the above, we’re going to focus on 4 very main components - being active, better sleep, stress management and nutrition. We’ll explain how, through looking after the 4 pillars, you can strengthen your immune system and prevent diseases.

Let’s look at being active.

There are several theories of why movement is related to sickness prevention. Some of these theories are:

●      Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness.

●      Exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before.

●      The brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. This temperature rise may help the body fight infection better. (This is similar to what happens when you have a fever.)

●      Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. As we know, stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness.

●      Exercise is good for you, but you should not overdo it. People who already exercise should not exercise more just to increase their immunity. Heavy, long-term exercise (such as marathon running and intense gym training) could actually cause harm. It’s all about balance between being active and resting, allowing the body to recharge and reset.

There’s another reason  WHY movement is so important to your immune system. There is a network of vessels, just like your veins and arteries called the lymphatic system that is responsible for carrying excess fluid, waste and toxic matter including harmful bacteria and pathogens, away from the blood to the lymph nodes for disposal. This system also produces antibodies. But this system doesn’t have a heart to pump it like your blood does. So it relies on movement to disperse its protective elements all over the body and into the other organs which also support immunity like the liver and kidneys. Movement is essential to prevent inflammation and enhance your body’s ability to fight disease.

And you don’t need to do a lot to boost your immunity. This is good news if you already have a great routine for your exercise and you’re enjoying it.

If you don’t like the gym or running, how about an exercise class? They can be so much fun and it’s good to be around like minded people. Group exercise can boost endorphins and serotonin, which relieves stress that might be reducing immunity and stress doesn’t stand a chance when you feel happy :) .

Or how about walking? Walking can also help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less.

This is proof of the role of exercise in boosting your immunity!

Or how about yoga which is well-known for working on your whole body and your mind.

We hope that gives you some new information about how exercise helps your immune system.

Look out for the next blog on stress and sleep and how these 2 impact your immunity.

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