3 Exercises that Boost Your Immune System Fast

A 2019 review in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that moderate Exercises boost your immune system defense activity and metabolic health.

Science Daily reported on a recent analysis that was published in the journal Exercise Immunology Review. By keeping your immune system healthy, you increase your chances of warding off viruses — COVID-19 and others — and exercise remains one of the most effective (and science-backed) ways to do so. Plus, you’ll feel better and have more energy!

The Department of Health and Human Services suggests a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. That’s roughly 30 minutes per day for just 5 days of the week. While they don’t specify types of activity, here we have listed three exercises for you to try.

3 Exercises that Boost Your Immune System Fast

1. The Walk/Hike

Starting off, if you’re not ready to get all sweaty in the gym and want to naturally boost your immune system, a good old-fashioned walk or hike will do the trick. Being inside and glued to our screens is not good for any of us–physically or mentally–and it plays a part in our body’s immune response as well.

Even though social distancing regulations are in place, you can still go outside, which is what you should be doing because it lowers depression.

A 2015 study from Stanford University linked 90-minute bouts of walking outdoors to decreased activity in the part of the brain that’s associated with depression. The more difficult terrain of trail hiking increases your workout intensity and you get to see more of nature.

The Journal of Sports and Health Science found that 30 to 60 minutes of near-daily brisk walking (at least 3.5 miles per hour, or a 17-minute mile) can improve your body’s defense against germs.