Did you know that weekly aerobic exercise could help reduce flu and pneumonia deaths?
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, of Harvard Men’s Health Watch said doing enough aerobic exercise may help reduce the risk of dying from flu or pneumonia, according to a study published online on May 16, 2023, by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Guidelines advise people to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. Researchers examined exercise data collected from 577,909 adults from 1998 to 2018 who were followed for an average of nine years. They found that people who met the recommendation were 36% less likely to die from pneumonia or influenza than those who did not exercise. For people who exercised 301 to 600 minutes per week, the risk was cut in half.
However, there was no extra protection from doing more than 600 minutes. The researchers speculated that the benefit came from aerobic exercise helping to strengthen the body’s immune response.
Also getting the annual flu vaccine when it is available (usually in late September) according to Solan can offer protection.
Medicineplus.gov adds that exercise decreases the chances of developing heart disease and keeps the bones healthy and strong.
Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness.
- Exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body’s immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before. However, no one knows whether these changes help prevent infections.
- The brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. This temperature rise may help the body fight infection better. (This is similar to what happens when you have a fever.)
- Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the chance of illness. Lower stress hormones may protect against illness.
Exercise is good for you, but, you should not overdo it. People who already exercise should not exercise more just to increase their immunity. Heavy, long-term exercise (such as marathon running and intense gym training) could actually cause harm.
Studies have shown that people who follow a moderately energetic lifestyle, benefit most from starting (and sticking to) an exercise program. A moderate program can consist of:
- Bicycling with your children a few times a week
- Taking daily 20 to 30 minute walks
- Going to the gym every other day
- Playing golf regularly
Exercise makes you feel healthier and more energetic. It can help you feel better about yourself. So go ahead, take that aerobics class or go for that walk. You will feel better and healthier for it.
There is no strong evidence to prove that taking immune supplements along with exercising lowers the chance of illness or infections.
