4 Ways to Strengthen your Immune System

The immune system's main goal is to preserve our health and well-being, by protecting our organism from possible diseases and infections.

This system must function correctly, in order to detect and distinguish what is healthy for our body from the things that are not, like viruses and parasites.

With COVID-19, some people might have questions about how to strengthen our immune system in order to fight and defeat the “enemies” of our body.

However, it's important to mention that even if you have a reinforced immune system it doesn’t mean that you are free from getting infected with the virus.

It simply makes you more resistant and capable of dealing with possible problems. The process of strengthening the immune system must be continuous and regular, as a preventive measure.

So, we put together some tips that will allow you to strengthen your immune system!

All of these tips can be easily implemented in your lifestyle.

How to Boost your Immune System

1. Have a healthy and balanced nutrition plan

Everyone knows how important it is to maintain a healthy and balanced nutrition plan, mostly composed of foods full of micronutrients.

As the National Health Service (NHS) says:

“An appropriate nutritional and hydration status contributes, in general, to an optimized immune system and to a better recovery of individuals in a disease situation”.

It's important to increase the use of vegetables and fruits, reduce excessive energy consumption, avoid excess sugar, salt, and processed foods.

Reading labels and eating fresh products are also actions of great importance for your health.

2. Practice some kind of physical activity 

Exercising regularly is one of the standards for a healthy and active life because it allows you to improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, help control body weight and protect against a wide variety of diseases.

Like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to overall good health and, therefore, to a better immune system.

So, it is especially important to maintain an active lifestyle, practicing physical activities, even in these rough times.

Exercise regularly and consistently, choosing to do exercises that work multiple muscles simultaneously.

After all, staying at home is not an excuse to do nothing. That is why we have an article that will certainly help you with this, with the best equipment to train at home and some exercise examples.

Click here to find out the 7 best pieces of equipment to workout at home.

3. Stay hydrated

Being properly hydrated is essential for a strengthened immune system. According to the NHS, it is important to drink water throughout the day, about 1,5 to 1,9L, which is equivalent to approximately 8 glasses.

A great tip to drink more water is to make teas or waters flavored with fruit or mint. This will give a very pleasant taste to the water, as an incentive to drink more.

4. Maintain a healthy weight

Several studies confirm the relation between obesity and the imbalance of the immune system. In addition, it's a risk factor for the increase of possible infections and respiratory problems, both in children and adults.

That being said, it is important to maintain a healthy weight that is appropriate for your body type, not only for physical reasons but mainly to preserve your health.

Now that you know some ways to strengthen your immune system, it's also important to know the factors that can negatively affect you.

According to Harvard Medical School, these are the factors to avoid in order to protect your immune system, as they might negatively affect it:

What negatively impacts the immune system:

• • Smoking and consuming alcohol without moderation
• • Having an unbalanced sleep routine
• • Nutrient deficiency 
• • Stress
• • Eating excess fat, sugar, salt, and processed foods 
• • Having a sedentary life