Boost Your Immune System

This is the time of the year when allergies come about. Sometimes they’re so bad it seems like not even allergy medications can help. Did you know that your body can naturally heal itself from sickness and allergies? With a little help, that is. Does being in good shape and exercising every day reduce your susceptibility to allergies?

Here is what I know;

1. Those who workout and keep their lives in good shape are sometimes less prone to having allergies
2. Conditioning gives the body a chance to self-fix itself when it comes to colds, flu, allergies, etc.
3. The body can fight off foreign matter and substances much easier when it’s in shape with daily exercise and a healthy diet

My personal belief is that exercise doesn’t boost our immune system as much as it gives the body the ability to do what it is meant to do and that is to fend off foreign substances and keep us healthy. Of course, there are ways to further strengthen our bodies, like boosting our immune systems with greens and citrus fruits.

A few years back I had the flu. I remember coming into work and not being able to function because my head hurt, I had the chills, and I just felt exhausted. Instead of going to the doctor, getting medication prescribed to me and going home, I did something different. I put on my sweatshirt, hopped on the treadmill, and walked for 40 minutes. Yes, I was tired. Yes, it was hard. Yes, I wanted to stop, but I didn’t. I wanted to get my body heated enough to bring about a war in my body between whatever illness I had and the red blood cells. This war resulted in a fever, that when finally broken, would show my body the victor and bring me back to normal. Instead of waiting and having a lingering flu, I pushed the envelope and brought it on sooner which helped it leave quicker. That night the fever broke and I was back the next day. It’s crazy how the body can heal itself, and my body did just that.

Could a person who didn’t regularly take care of themselves do what I did? How would their body respond? How long would they have the flu and what side effects would possibly happen? All I know is that when my fever spiked at 104, most would have called it and gone to the ER. Instead, I went to bed and woke up the next day feeling great, felt about 7 pounds lighter, and saved myself an ER trip and bill.

I don’t really think exercise gives our immune system a boost in the same way eating healthy does, but it does help us fend off those substances that in the end can really kill us.