How to Boost Your Immune System During COVID-19 (And How Revibe Is Keeping You Safe)
This time in our lives presents a unique challenge amid a panic that is slowly irrupting over the states. Each day we hear how COVID-19 (or Coronavirus) is infecting more, spreading it closer to your household. Rest assured, ReVibe is aware of this issue and confident in keeping the studio sanitary, as well as you and your household healthy! Your safety is of the utmost importance to us so, starting Monday, a new Cleanliness Policy will take effect so we can keep the studio virus-free.
ReVibe Cleanliness Policy
Washing or sanitizing hands whenever you enter the studio.
Required cancellation of appointments if you feel symptoms of illness.
Disinfection of machines both before and after a client works out.
Hourly disinfection of common surfaces including doorknobs and counters.
Ramping up other cleaning procedures such as floor disinfecting.
Removing the sign-in sheet to reduce your contact with shared items (i.e. pens)
We are more than confident that ReVibe will be a safe stop for you each day. The CDC has recommended that all large social gatherings of 10 or more individuals should be cancelled. As ReVibe only sees 8 clients at any one time in a large, well-ventilated area we feel more than confident we can keep all our clients safe. All our plates are 6-feet apart from one another further minimizing your risk.
But ReVibe is just one stop during your busy routes each day, so how can you ensure your health during COVID-19?
Many are asking the question: should I still exercise?
Yes. You definitely should!
It is an urban myth that exercise suppresses your immune system. Research actually shows an increase in your immune system’s strength and response as measured by your levels of antibodies and white blood cells (WBC) circulating in your blood. These immune cells are the core of a strong immune system capable of fighting infection. Exercise also helps ensure lung health and good lung-capacity which is helpful when fighting a respiratory virus. The health benefits of exercise are well documented as it keeps bones strong, reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, and helps your mental health as you can blow off some steam.
However, to end the article at “exercise boosts your immune response” would be doing everyone a disservice. There is a lot of other things we can do to boost your immune system. Exercise is only part of the plan.
The immune system is a large and complex system that, in truth isn’t fully understood. Researchers continue to explore the effects of diet, exercise, age, psychological stress, and other factors in the immune response. In the meantime, it is well accepted that good, health-promoting behaviors help you fight off infection. So, below are ReVibe’s recommendations for a healthy immune system.
1. Exercise.
According to this article in the journal of Sport and Health Science, exercise seems to have profound impacts on immunity. The article reviewed 4 areas of exercise immunology and summarized our available research discoveries showing a clear inverse relationship between moderate exercise and illness risk. This review asserted exercise seemed to work with the immune system to boost our defense against illness and improve our metabolic health.
It is common knowledge that exercise strengthens your lungs and heart health. In one study posted in 2014, it was found that “higher doses of running and walking were associated with lower risk of respiratory disease, pneumonia, and aspiration pneumonia mortality in a dose-dependent manner”. Essentially, based on this one study it seems that those who exercise experience less-serious lung conditions. When facing a respiratory virus, it is always a good idea to keep your lungs in tip-top shape. While exercising outside is a great idea, COVID-19 is not transmitted via sweat making gyms a perfectly safe option for exercise.
2. Do not smoke.
Remember we just discussed that lung health is important when fighting a respiratory virus. In a 2019 systematic review, smokers above the age of 65 were found to have a 64% increase in the risk of community acquired pneumonia. Keep those lungs healthy!
3. Eat a balanced diet!
80% of your immune system is in your gut, so it should come as no surprise that a balanced diet including fruits and vegetables will boost your immunity and provide your body the nutrients it needs to fight off infection. This balanced diet would include the limiting of sugar and ultra-processed carbohydrates as they lead to increased inflammation in the body. This is a topic we have gone over quite a few times both in previous blogs and on Facebook. Also consider cooking with herbs like garlic, ginger, rosemary, oregano, and turmeric as they all have anti-inflammatory benefits. Garlic, in particular, actually has some science-backed benefits for reducing your risk of the cold.
4. Avoid Alcoholic Beverages
Don’t drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day. As much as we hate to admit it, alcohol is a toxic compound and can stress your body.
5. Sleep for 7-8 hours per day.
One study in 2015 found people who slept at least 7 hours a night were 4 times less likely to come down with a cold. This was compared to those who slept 6 or less hours per night.
6. Reduce stress.
Stress leads to immune system suppression. It isn't doing our immune systems any good to panic. One great way to blow off steam? Yup. Exercise.
7. Some supplements.
A 2017 review of 25 studies found that vitamin D actually gave some protection against infection for those who were deficient in the vitamin. Since winter just ended, that would likely be all of us. Other immune boosting supplements like zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B6, B9, Vitamin A, Vitamin A, selenium, iron, and copper might have some benefit based on animal models, but we don’t have any good evidence one way or the other yet.
However, the single most important thing you can do is to wash your hands and avoid touching your face. Washing your hands constantly throughout the day and not touching your face is by far the single most effective way to prevent infection. Always wash your hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Even Just educating people on the benefits of handwashing reduces the community risk of respiratory illnesses by up to 21%. Frequent hand washing can do much, much more for your personal health.
In conclusion, you should absolutely keep up with your exercise program to boost your immune system, battle stress, and continue reaching your health goals. You can feel confident knowing we are taking all the necessary steps to keep you safe. Also, we can personally calm you on any concerns you might have and walk you through the best steps for disease prevention. Assessing your diet and making recommendations is one of the services we do at ReVibe.
ReVibe will continue to meet your needs for exercise during this difficult time. Rest assured we are taking steps to keep your studio clean, safe, and free of viruses.
By,
Keith Spennewyn
Gavin Spennewyn