This sport strengthens your immune system

Sports, especially endurance sports such as swimming, jogging or cycling, have been proven to strengthen the immune system. How exactly sport does this is not entirely clear. One explanation is that the lymphatic fluid is better transported by muscle movements.

In addition to dietary fats, the lymphatic fluid transports many of the immune cells, which thus reach the places where they contribute to the actual defence more quickly. These are mainly the lymph nodes, in which the cells are presented with the corresponding pathogens. In addition, according to the current state of knowledge, sport is always also training for the immune system: it is assumed that it is stimulated a little by physical exertion. Thus, the production of immune cells does not drop and the immune defense remains at a stronger level than without regular exercise. Ultimately, this is also shown by the fact that people who do sport less often and usually suffer less from infections than other people.

Sauna for a strong immune system

Besides its relaxing effect, sauna also has the reputation to strengthen the immune system. In fact, the heat during a sauna causes the temperature inside the body to rise – which effectively works like a fever: the increased temperature makes it easier to kill off pathogens. The change between hot and cold during the sauna also stimulates the metabolism and releases endorphins.Both have an indirect positive effect on the immune system: A good metabolism also stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluid, which contains a large proportion of immune cells. Endorphins are the “happiness messengers” of the body, which are responsible for the typical feeling of well-being during and after sauna bathing and can therefore also support the immune system by influencing the psyche.

Alternating baths for a strong immune system

In terms of strengthening the immune system, alternating baths are similar to saunas: the pronounced alternation of warm and cold temperatures does not harden the body, but it does get the metabolism going and exposes the body to “unpleasant” stimuli that stimulate the immune system to a small extent and thus keep it fit. It is important for alternating baths to create as large a temperature difference as possible and to carry out such baths regularly. This ensures that the immune system is actually constantly stimulated.