The Magic Link Between Joint Health and a Strong Immune System
During these unprecedented times, building and maintaining a strong immune system is one of the most important things that you can do. Although each biological system of the human body informs the other and contributes towards the optimum health of the entire mechanism, people often forget about how the joints system can allow you to fight off certain bodily attacks. However, engaging in coordinative movement and using your joints safely allows you to do one of the most important things that you can do for your immune system: exercise!
Your joints are like cogs in a machine. To keep the entire machine running at full speed, you need to make sure that each cog is well oiled. Although too much exercise and strain on your joints can cause a detrimental effect, ensuring that you are constantly moving and using your joints sensibly allows you to build a strong immune system.
Below are several facts about how exercise can help you towards helping build a stronger immune system and a healthier body.
One of the most apparent benefits of light exercise is the ability to promote the flow of lymph, where lymphocytes and antibodies are present. Unlike the arterial blood vessels, lymph vessels don't have the power of a pump behind them. Instead, they depend on normal body motion and muscle contraction to stimulate the flow throughout the body. Deep breathing with stretching (e.g. yoga or tai chi) is another effective exercise to encourage the movement of lymph.
Moderate exercise improves blood flow through the cardiovascular system, thus helping to flush toxins and antigens from the body through the excretory systems via urine and sweat. Increased blood flow also keeps the antibodies and white blood cells needed to fight infection circulating rapidly as a possible early defense against foreign invaders.
Moving the joints and engaging in light exercise raises the body temperature that can kill and/or inhibit the growth of an unwanted aggressor.
Scientific studies have recorded a temporary increase in phagocyte activity and function immediately following exercise. It is believed that the increase could remove some potentially harmful substances out of the bloodstream before they ever get the chance to travel further. It may also help to boost the fight against an active infection.
Moderate exercise enhances the T-cell response. T-cells can recognize foreign bodies and organize a cohesive response with other immune cells in coordinating a defensive attack. T1 helper cells also stimulate inflammation and other changes in the body as the first defense against infection. They are followed by T2 helper cells that produce an healthy inflammatory response.
One of the greatest benefits of regular exercise is its ability to help relieve mental and emotional stress linked to suppressed immunity and increased health issues. Exercise helps to provide an outlet for nervous energy, can help take our mind off of our greatest concerns (at least momentarily), and help improve our self-esteem. It also reduces the emission of stress-related hormones long thought to suppress the immune system.
Let us know below on how your exercise routine has been beneficial to building a strong immune system and warding off those nasty germs!
Your joints are like cogs in a machine. To keep the entire machine running at full speed, you need to make sure that each cog is well oiled. Although too much exercise and strain on your joints can cause a detrimental effect, ensuring that you are constantly moving and using your joints sensibly allows you to build a strong immune system.
Below are several facts about how exercise can help you towards helping build a stronger immune system and a healthier body.
One of the most apparent benefits of light exercise is the ability to promote the flow of lymph, where lymphocytes and antibodies are present. Unlike the arterial blood vessels, lymph vessels don't have the power of a pump behind them. Instead, they depend on normal body motion and muscle contraction to stimulate the flow throughout the body. Deep breathing with stretching (e.g. yoga or tai chi) is another effective exercise to encourage the movement of lymph.
Moderate exercise improves blood flow through the cardiovascular system, thus helping to flush toxins and antigens from the body through the excretory systems via urine and sweat. Increased blood flow also keeps the antibodies and white blood cells needed to fight infection circulating rapidly as a possible early defense against foreign invaders.
Moving the joints and engaging in light exercise raises the body temperature that can kill and/or inhibit the growth of an unwanted aggressor.
Scientific studies have recorded a temporary increase in phagocyte activity and function immediately following exercise. It is believed that the increase could remove some potentially harmful substances out of the bloodstream before they ever get the chance to travel further. It may also help to boost the fight against an active infection.
Moderate exercise enhances the T-cell response. T-cells can recognize foreign bodies and organize a cohesive response with other immune cells in coordinating a defensive attack. T1 helper cells also stimulate inflammation and other changes in the body as the first defense against infection. They are followed by T2 helper cells that produce an healthy inflammatory response.
One of the greatest benefits of regular exercise is its ability to help relieve mental and emotional stress linked to suppressed immunity and increased health issues. Exercise helps to provide an outlet for nervous energy, can help take our mind off of our greatest concerns (at least momentarily), and help improve our self-esteem. It also reduces the emission of stress-related hormones long thought to suppress the immune system.
Let us know below on how your exercise routine has been beneficial to building a strong immune system and warding off those nasty germs!
