Does Exercise Boost Your Immune System? After dealing with COVID-19 for over 18 months, folks are asking more questions about the impact that exercise has on your immune system. We know that reports show, those with reduced immune systems are more susceptible to the virus and damage to the body if you get COVID. Multiple studies in humans and animals have demonstrated the profound impact that exercise can have on the immune system. There is a general consensus that regular bouts of shortlasting (i.e. up to 45 minutes) moderate intensity exercise is beneficial for host immune defense, particularly in older adults and people with chronic diseases. As well, numerous epidemiological studies have examined the effects of exercise on individuals with illness who are either moderately active or sedentary. These studies consistently show people who are active or physically fit get, significantly fewer upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) per year than less active people.
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How does exercise boost the immune system? The human immune system is a well-coordinated network of cells that recognize and destroy viruses, bacteria and fungi. A healthy immune system requires the teamwork of two layers of immune protection: the innate immune system and the acquired (adaptive) immune system. The innate immune system is what you are born with, and exercise stimulates it. The adaptive immune system is what your body creates to fight off disease and what you build when you get the vaccine. We have learned that each session of moderate aerobic exercise instantaneously mobilizes millions of immune cells. The mobilized cells first enter the blood circulation from the spleen and the bone marrow before traveling into the lungs and other organs. These cells, mobilized by exercise, are primed and ready for a fight as they patrol between circulation and tissues. Depending on the exercise intensity and duration, the
number of circulating immune cells can increase by 50% to 400%. The most abundant type of white blood cells called neutrophils, protect us from
infection and are the first cells to arrive to fight bacteria in the body. Macrophages are types of white blood cells that engulf and digest anything
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