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With the winter season upon us, we have to be extra careful with our immune systems. But working out is a great way to boost your immune system... right?
Not always, it turns out. According to research released by Bangor University, it turns out there's one popular training regimen that can actually lower your immune system: training for a marathon.
The research found that "long-duration, moderately intense workouts (over 120 minutes) actually temporarily weaken your immune system," according to Shape Magazine.
It's still true that working out can boost your immune system, but training sessions longer than 30 minutes increase stress hormones, such as cortisol, which in turn suppresses the immune system.
That doesn't mean that training for a marathon is a bad idea, though. “In terms of building endurance fitness, managing body weight, and improving efficiency these sessions are important,” confirms study author Neil Walsh, Ph.D. It just means that you have to be extra careful to boost your immune system in other ways to ensure you won't get sick.
Check out expert tips to keep your immune system up below.
1. Be extra careful post-workout.
Research has proven that your immune system is at its weakest three to four hours after your long-duration workout, which means you'll be especially susceptible to catching something. “Take extra precautions during this timeframe,” says Walsh, “avoid sick people and practice good hand and food hygiene.”
2. Swap some of your long-duration exercises for high-intensity exercises.
"Swap some of your longer sessions for spike sessions (shorter and high intensity)," says Walsh. Check out one of our favorite fitness exercises here--it's 13 minutes of intensity, no equipment or experience needed. Swapping out some of your long-duration exercises will give your immune system more time to recover between training sessions.
3. Follow the five percent rule.
"Don’t increase your weekly training volume by more than five percent per week," advises Walsh. That means if you worked out for 20 minutes this week, only increase it to 21 minutes next week.
4. Get plenty of rest.
Rest is absolutely essential for your immune system, so don't skimp on sleep to squeeze in a training session. Be sure you're also taking at least one day a week to rest while you're training for your marathon!
What do you think about all this? Have you been training for a marathon? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
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