Here's the Best Way to Boost Your Immune System

Some people seem to breeze through cold-and-flu season without so much as a sniffle. What’s their secret? Regular exercise is a prime candidate. “If you look at all the lifestyle factors that decrease the number of days you suffer from common cold, being a physically active and fit person is the most important,” says David Nieman, a professor of public health and director of the Human Performance Lab at Appalachian State University. Nieman has spent years examining the effect exercise has on human health and immune function. In one of his studies, he and his colleagues found that 30 minutes of brisk walking increased the circulation of natural killer cells, white blood cells and other immune system warriors. When these immune cells encounter an illness-causing pathogen, they can kill it very effectively, he says. “But we found that, about three hours after exercise, these immune cells retreat back to the tissues they came from,” he says. In other words, the immune-boosting effects of exercise are fairly short-lived. This is why the “regular” part of regular exercise is crucial. “If you have a housekeeper come in and clean for 30 minutes every day, by end of the month, your house will look a lot better,” he says. “I think the same thing that happens with the immune system and pathogen clearance in the body.” Nieman says 30 to 60 minutes a day of moderate intensity aerobic exercise—think brisk walking, cy...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Research Source Type: news