If you haven’t gotten COVID lately, you likely know at least a few people who have. Whether you’ve tested positive for the virus, or just been exposed, many of us might be spending some time thinking about how to boost our immunity. Read on for some basic primers on how to keep your immunity in the best shape it can be – both today, and moving forward into cold and flu season!

Some aspects of immunity are beyond our control, but some aspects are things we can do something about. Just below, we highlight four areas where your efforts to protect and promote your immunity might pay off.

1) Breathing

Breathing plays a huge part in our overall health and wellness. You might now be thinking, “What, I breathe every day, what’s the big deal?!” What many people don’t realize is that their breathing patterns are dysfunctional and even though they are able to stay alive on a daily basis, some aspects of their breathing patterns are doing more harm than good. Breathing plays a huge part not only in regulating our lung health, but when done properly it can not only increase oxygen to our brain, muscles, organs, and cells in our body, but also decrease stress, lower blood pressure, and our resting heart rate. Research has shown that nasal breathing performed slowly and quietly, using the abdomen, lower back and sides of the body, can improve pulmonary function, reduce oxidative stress (i.e., it works as an antioxidant), improve muscular strength, and reduce cardiovascular disease. As if that isn’t enough, proper nasal breathing can also regulate the autonomic nervous system by inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), which has been shown to enhance function of the immune system (Jerath et al. 2006).

2) Sleep

Many people have noted that COVID-19 has made them feel really exhausted and nap like a champ – a sign that your body is trying to sleep itself well! It is well documented that sleep fights against sickness and infection by boosting your immunity. According to sleep scientist Dr. Matthew Walker, when your body is fighting infection, the immune system actively stimulates the sleep system to reinforce the fight against sickness. In his research, Dr. Aric Prather of UCSF demonstrated a direct link between infection rate and how much sleep participants achieved. Those getting five hours of sleep on average had an infection rate of almost 50% while those sleeping 7+ hours on average had an infection rate of only 18%. In addition, it was found that those who averaged 7+ hours of sleep before getting the flu vaccine developed a more powerful antibody reaction.

3) Activity

When you are sick, the last thing you want to do is to be active, but as part of illness prevention, regular exercise not only improves physical fitness but also your overall health. We have both an innate immunity and an acquired immunity. Our innate immunity is what we were born with and was shared with us by our mothers when we were in the womb, but our acquired immunity is what we develop as we develop and new bacteria enters our bodies. Our acquired immunity is made up of T cells and B cells. Both cells are derived from leukocytes, which destroy disease-causing organisms and are produced and stored in the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. These cells are also called lym­phocytes, which allow the body to remember and recognize previ­ous invading viruses and bacteria so the body can destroy them in future encounters. Studies have shown that acquired immune function of the body can ac­tivate T, B, and natural killer (NK) cells only by activating the musculoskeletal system. The body adapts to physical exercise not only by repairing muscle but also by releasing an immune response to help in the repairing process. Physical exercise ex­erts both systemic and local effects on the immune system. If you’ve ever done an extremely intense workout, you may have noticed some of these effects as the body gets sore to the point of body aches and you may have a slight headache or fever. With that said, research shows that moderate intensity exercise creates an environment in the musculoskeletal system that can activate immune function in a beneficial manner.

4) Nutrition

An adequate supply of micronutrients in our daily diet is essential in supporting immune function, and the need for these micronutrients increases as we age due to decreased digestive absorption, and possible medication or poor diet side effects. This micronutrient deficiency, regardless of age, may lead to the development of many infections and illnesses, and it can also decrease our ability to fight these diseases – especially the current COVID -19 variant and the flu. A recent study by Sharma 2021 showed that management of specific dietary micronutrients can help build acquired immunity against COVID-19.  Here is a list of micronutrients (and dietary sources) that are important for building immunity and fighting disease:

At Beacon Physical Therapy, we support our patients in leading a healthy life and establishing a healthy lifestyle. We’d love to meet you and get you back to doing what you love.