5 Quick Tips to Boost Your Immune System
Even though there’s no vaccine for COVID-19 at the moment, you can boost your immune system and help yourself stay healthy and mentally strong. That’s the best way to fight an infection.
A vast number of studies shows that a balanced diet, practicing yoga on a regular basis, exercise, and sleep improves your immune system.
- To breathe long deep breaths. We constantly breathe, but to control our breath – and take slow deep breaths all the way down into the belly – has an impact on all of the cells in your body. When you take control of your breath, you indirectly take control of your thoughts. So long deep breaths make your mind calm.
Deep breaths for only 10 minutes a day reduces stress, lower the blood pressure, and increases your concentration span. It can also increase the quality of your sleep, as well as reduce anxiety.
Inhale and relax your belly so it can expand. Inhale so much that you can feel your chest expand. Let go of your breath and exhale in your body’s own pace. Exhale completely so that you can take another deep breath. You can do this exercise anywhere, as you need to breathe to stay alive. - Get plenty of sleep. Without enough sleep, your body makes less cytokines – a type of protein that targets infections, inflammations, and contributes to a strong immune system. It is during sleep that these cytokines are produced and released throughout the body. Chronic sleep deficiency is shown to have effect on making vaccines less effective, since sleep deficiency reduces our body’s ability to build an effective immune system. So see to that you get enough sleep every night.
- Practice yoga! All yoga that affects the parasympathetic system – the calming part of the nervous system – reduces stress. Less stress means a stronger immune system. Only 10 minutes a day can make a difference, so find yourself a yoga practice that works for you – something you can do on a daily basis.
- Eat a varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. There’s no research that shows that there is only one super food that can cover it all. Instead a lot of research shows that diversity of different vegetables strengthens the immune system. You need a lot of different amino acids for the biochemical processes that takes place in your body when infected. For example you can make a vegetable dip, fruit salad, or oven roast different root vegetables.
- Take a walk, since both fresh air and physical activity strengthens the immune system.
A healthy diet, physical activity, and balance in your life is crucial to your health – both in these times, and for the future. Take good care of yourself, be kind to yourself and to others. That will boost your immune system!
