If want to get more out of your next flu shot or COVID-19 vaccination, an early study hints at a simple way: Take a long, brisk walk afterward.
Researchers found that when people exercised moderately for 90 minutes right after either vaccination, their bodies produced more infection-fighting antibodies over the next month.
The findings are preliminary, according to researcher Marian Kohut, a professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University in Ames.
She says it’s not clear whether the ramped-up antibody response translates into a lower infection risk, or longer-lasting protection.
But the findings — published in the May issue of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity — add to evidence that being physically active may enhance the body’s response to vaccination.
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What the study shows
The study involved 70 people who were randomly assigned to either exercise or not, right after receiving a flu shot or their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The exercisers aimed for a moderate-intensity — walking briskly, jogging or riding a stationary bike. Some of the flu-shot recipients worked out for 45 minutes, but the rest kept at it for 90 minutes.
While 90 minutes might sound like a long time to sweat, it was chosen for a reason, Kohut shares: In previous work, the researchers found that amount of exercise may churn up an immune system chemical called interferon alpha, which helps generate virus-fighting antibodies and T cells.
The researchers found that 90 minutes did, indeed, have an effect.
People who exercised that long generally produced more infection-fighting antibodies after