The Link Between Exercise And A Strong Immune System
Posted on by Tanner Neuberger, PT, DPT, TDN Level 1
Exercise has been long established as a way to help boost immune function. For the general population, it is an easy way to get healthier and help prevent infections during cold and flu seasons and keep their immunity up throughout the year1. There is evidence that exercise can help decrease systemic swelling over time, which is a potent cause of disease and infection in humans, but if you look closer at the research, much of that is by way of excess body weight reduction, specifically visceral fat mass2. While exercise is good, too much can be detrimental to your immune system as well, in fact this is seen in many elite athletes by the frequency of upper respiratory tract infections they develop while training3.
