Exercise & Immunity during the pandemic.

Staying fit keeps one healthy physically, but exercise also boosts mental and spiritual health. During a pandemic situation like the one we are facing now, clouded with so many uncertainties, it is important to not give up on a fitness routine just because one can’t go to the gym, attend an exercise class or indulge in an organised sport.  

 Why should we workout?  

The regular physical activities which we were doing in the regular day to day scenario has taken a backseat too. Giving us all the more reason to pull ourselves and find safe alternatives to indulge in excercises and workout. Of course, exercise helps prevent weight gain, but also offers plenty of other important benefits. Exercise can lower the risk of developing health conditions like: Depression, Diabetes, Heart disease, High blood pressure and many other critical illnesses. Alongside it also helps in building muscle and strength, improves sleep patterns and boosts Immunity. Yes, the human immune system is a highly complex network of cells and molecules designed to keep the host free from infection and disease. Exercise is known to have a deep impact on the normal functioning of the immune system and always ‘looking for a fight with viruses.’  Thus, it is important that our immune cells maintain their ability to redeploy to prevent viruses and other pathogens from gaining a foothold inside the body. 

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So, how much exercise is needed? 

 This is becoming more all the more crucial as many of us have restricted access to the gyms and wellness centers where we would normally undertake exercise and physical activity regimes. Adding to this are the known negative effects of social isolation leading to confinement on immunity. In this regard, it is vital that we try to maintain our activity levels. 

Develop a Routine 

According to experts, regular physical activity can help one feel better and have more energy. Creating and maintaining a regular schedule when it comes to your exercise routine can help you achieve the results you want. The key is to do enough and to do it often. From moderate physical activity to enhancing flexibility, as well as muscle-strengthening workouts two or more times a week one can indulge according to their health and body composition. 

Listen to Your Body and its composition.  

Body composition is the proportion of fat and nonfat mass in the body. Body Composition breaks down the body into its core components: fat, protein, minerals, and body water. It describes your weight more accurately and provides a better glimpse into your overall health. Knowing your body composition can help you assess your health and fitness level as it accurately shows changes in fat mass, muscle mass, and body fat percentage. By differentiating between muscle and fat, with a quick body composition analysis, remove the guesswork of determining what your weight fluctuations mean, be it muscle gain, fat loss, or anything in between.  

Find your baseline so you know what you need to lose, gain, or maintain: 

  • Assess your Percent Body Fat so you can focus on fat loss, not just weight loss 
  • Maximise your workout routine to fit your unique health and fitness goals 
  • Calculate your calorie expenditure and create nutrition plan accordingly. 
  • Set realistic goals, accurately monitor progress, and stay motivated 
  • Make more educated decisions to improve your body composition 

Focus on Whole Health is the need of the moment with Exercise and nutrition to boost the Immunity.  

Not only can exercise and proper nutrition have a positive direct effect on the cells and molecules of the immune system, but it is also known to counter the negative effects of social distancing and its related stress on various aspects of immunity.  Given the challenges of 2020, this process is also important to minimize the impact of the virus and to make a head start in the coming year for a healthier lifestyle. 

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