How Regular Exercise over Winter Helps Boost Your Immunity - Plus 4 Immune Boosting Tips

As winter approaches, regular exercise can help you to prevent colds, flus, and viruses from taking hold. Regular exercise can also help to keep the winter blues at bay. 

The immune system is a complex topic, however there are simple things that you can do daily or weekly that can help to support your immune system. Ideally, to prevent cold and flu symptoms during winter or even to reduce the severity of the symptoms if you do happen to be unwell. 

During this blog, we will discuss 4 tips to boost your immune system.

1.  Eat Seasonally

One of the main benefits of switching to seasonal food eating is that often these foods contain the nutrients that can support your immune system.

Foods that are in season in winter are:

Carrots, pumpkin, leeks, turnips, sweet potato, and cauliflower. These are all great in soups, stews or roasted. 

Broccoli, silver beet and spinach can be enjoyed as a side dish or included in recipes like stir-fries or curries during the colder months. 

One of my favourite ways to include lots of vegetables in my diet during winter is to bake a big tray of vegetables at the start of the week. That way these can be added to salads like winter buddha bowls or included as a side meal for dinners. Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, onions, capsicum, sweet potato with some fresh thyme or rosemary and roasted in the oven makes for a delicious vegetable bake. 

Fruits such as Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes are high in vitamin C which can help boost the immune system or reduce the severity of symptoms. These can be added to juices, used to make salad dressings, or added into savoury dishes also. 

These seasonal foods mentioned above are gut-friendly, nutrient dense ingredients that help boost the immune system. 

Personal Tip

A super easy, 3 ingredient juice is one of my favourites for immune boosting during winter. Orange, Carrot and Ginger. Put all ingredients into a blender, then strain and enjoy.

2. Get moving and exercise

Exercise has been shown to help boost the immune system, particularly moderate intensity exercise (like Yoga and Pilates).

Regular exercise is one of the foundations of healthy living. It helps with heart health, weight management, blood pressure and helps prevent many diseases.

Another important factor is that exercise helps to reduce stress levels. The gut, where a huge portion of the immune system lives, and the brain, are linked. Therefore, it only makes sense to address stress, when managing the immune system health. 

Studies have shown that regular moderate exercise lowers your infection risk compared to those doing nothing. Those exercising daily at a moderate level reported approximately half the typical number of upper-respiratory tract infections than those doing nothing. So, whilst the temptation to stay at home where it’s warm and miss Yoga or Pilates class is strong……know that moving your body can have a significant impact on whether you get sick or not during winter. 

This is one of the main reasons why I love both Yoga and Pilates. Both help to reduce stress and support the nervous system and therefore indirectly support the immune system that way. They are also considered mostly, to be moderate intensity exercise which is the type that can help to boost the immune system. 

Personal tip:

If you know you hit snooze or cancel classes more regularly during cold weather, book your Yoga or Pilates class at the same time as a friend. That way you are less likely to cancel if you are being held accountable. 

On Monday nights, I teach a Yoga class straight after Pilates. If you find it hard fitting in 2 nights a week for a class, or live out of town, consider doing the back-to-back classes on the same night.

3. Avoid sugar

Did you know that spikes in sugar intake have been shown to suppress your immune system? Therefore, if you are eating a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, you may be reducing your body's ability to fight off a cold or flu etc.  

Whilst it's cold outside it can be an easier option to grab carb loaded or sugar loaded foods for comfort these may be detrimental to your immune system. 

Personal tip:

During the winter months I stock up on my favourite herbal teas and keep the kettle warm with my favourite blends. Many tea blends including those with echinacea, elderberry and chamomile can also support the immune and nervous system too. 

Pukka Teas make a delicious Elderberry and Echinacea tea that has a slightly sweet taste (which can help satisfy any sweet cravings you might be having). Available at most health food shops or major supermarkets. You can even get it online if your local store doesn’t stock it.

4. Include immune boosting herbs in your diet

Ginger

Ginger has been traditionally used for decades for immunity. It has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be included in cooking, taken as a Tea, tincture or capsule form. 

Garlic

Garlic has traditionally also been used for decades to boost the immune system. It can be included in cooking (stir fries, stews, baked dishes etc) or taken in capsule form also. 

Elderberry 

Often made into a syrup, this is good for sore throats, coughing and fevers. If you are lucky enough to own an elder shrub or a neighbour has one, then the berries can be used in desserts, jelly, or juice. 

Personal tip:

I include more ginger in my cooking during the winter months, adding it to soups, curries and stir fries and breakfasts.

One of my favourite winter breakfasts is buckwheat porridge with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and some grated pear or apple. 

Grating some fresh ginger and putting it into your water bottle with a slice of lemon is another way to include ginger daily. 

You know what it’s like when you are busy and run down - you are much more likely to catch the latest bug that is going around when your body is feeling like that. On the other side of that is feeling strong, rested, rejuvenated, and energised which can all come from regular exercise. My personal favourites are Yoga and Pilates. Both are also fantastic for lowering your stress levels which also helps the immune system to stay strong. I also love getting outside and going for a walk - even when it’s cold outside!

As I mentioned earlier the immune system and its mechanisms are complex, but including some simple steps in your day-to-day life can help you stay healthy during winter. Things like avoiding stress and sugar and including lots of immune boosting nutrients in your diet can help your body function optimally and keep your immune system strong. Exercise helps the immune system in many ways.

Particularly regular practice of Yoga and Pilates (yes, I am a little bit biased😉 )during the winter months can keep you feeling fighting fit as it gets colder.

Sam