4 Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Immune System

Strengthening your immune system is a good idea in the long term.

Not only will your body recover from infections more quickly, but it will also be better prepared to prevent them. 

Plain text. You are sick less often, have more energy and can spend your time with the things and people that are most important to you.

Below we present you 4 easy ways to strengthen your immune system.

1. Movement

We are deliberately not talking about training here.

Because in the first step it is important to generally move more. 7000 – 10000 steps per day is a great start to reducing stress. Among other things, stress causes an increased release of cortisol and adrenaline.

This is something completely physiological and also good.

It is precisely these hormones that helped us to run away from the saber-toothed tiger in dangerous situations thousands of years ago. The problem these days is that, firstly, we are exposed to much more stress and therefore permanently increased cortisol and adrenaline levels.

Secondly, we do not relieve this stress through exercise, which would be the natural solution. This puts a strain on your body and inhibits your immune system. So try to move more in your everyday life. Ride a bike more, go for a walk or generally do more walking. As a rule, you can't go wrong here. 

2. Sleep

Just the idea...,

...the fact that your body exposes itself to danger for around 8 hours every night in order to recover should illustrate the importance of good sleep. However, your body is anything but idle when you sleep. While you sleep, your body carries out important repair processes. Thoughts, things learned and impressions are organized and saved.

Important substances reach her at night. Among other things, so-called cytokines. These serve as messenger substances for your immune system. Therefore, try to go to bed regularly at the same time and get up after about 8 hours.

3. Nutrition

Keywords here are:

Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Zinc. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant. It “catches” the free radicals that arise in the body and thus reduces your oxidative stress.

If present in excess, this can lead to, among other things, degenerative diseases.

As an antioxidant, vitamin E can protect the membrane (envelope) of your cells from free radicals. These free radicals would attempt to destroy the cell membrane if vitamin E does not first “capture” these free radicals and thus protect your cell membrane from the damage.

Zinc is the second most common trace element after iron and plays a key role in many biochemical processes and takes on specific functions in the immune system and hormonal balance. Foods rich in zinc include meat, poppy seeds, oatmeal, Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds.

4. Contrast showers

At the beginning, contrast showers may take some getting used to.

However, many people shower several times a week, making it an easy-to-use way to boost your immune system. When you take a contrast shower, your blood vessels alternately contract and expand again. Your lymph flows a little faster and can therefore remove any harmful substances from your body more quickly.

 That's how it's done:

1. Start with warm water on your right foot and shower down to your waist.
2. This is followed by the left leg, the right arm and the left arm.
3. All areas for 30-60 seconds each and 2-3 passes
4. Only set the shower as hot or cold as you can stand it, perhaps increasing it from week to week.

Conclusion: No matter what measure you decide to implement. Start with one that you can say 90 % you can run regularly with confidence.

Start at your own pace. Are 7000 steps e.g. B. still too much? Not bad. Start with less and increase weekly.

The same applies to contrast showers or your diet. Start small and then increase step by step.

Not all gyms are the same.

Smaller, more familiar studios like Fit4TheGame are often less crowded and also offer a great community. The focus is on having fun with exercise and so you often don't even notice that you're sweating, doing something good for your body and leaving the gym in a better mood than before.

Want to learn more about how we can help you reach your fitness goals (and boost your immune system!)?