5 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally
Your immune system works as your first line of defense against bacteria, infections, and parasites entering your body. It works to fight off illness and keep you well. As a primary defense mechanism, however, it requires nurturing. We’re exploring 5 ways to boost your immune system naturally and keep you feeling your best!
Finding Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally
Taking care of your immune system isn’t a complicated series of tasks. It’s as simple as a few daily lifestyle changes that will help improve your overall health. A few easy ways to boost your immune system naturally are:
- Getting better sleep and developing a night time routine
- Making healthier eating choices
- Managing stress levels to avoid being run down
- Exercising regularly and staying active
- Practicing other self care activities to promote better mental wellbeing
Getting Better Sleep to Boost Your Immune System
Without argument, getting better sleep is one of the easiest ways to boost your immune system naturally. Most of us don’t get enough sleep. We lead hectic lives with busy schedules. Taking the time to develop a night time routine for better sleep, however, can act as a primary way of taking care of your immune system.
A recent study has shown that people who get less than six hours of sleep each night are four times more likely to catch a cold. While everything regarding your immune system is important, it was determined that not getting enough sleep was the number one contributor for getting sick over both age and stress.
An easy way to start getting better sleep (and more of it!) is to adopt a night time routine. Our bodies are good with routines and cycles! Begin trying to go to sleep and waking up at the same time each day. In the evening, try limiting screen time at least an hour before bed. The blue light exposure from screens can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm, making it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. You can also use blue light blocking glasses to help, but shutting off your screens is best.
Other night time rituals can include having a hot beverage (decaffeinated), journaling, or reading a little before bed. If you have a zero gravity chair with heat therapy or massage features, these are both very helpful in improving sleep quality. Heat therapy helps your core cool down the few degrees necessary for restful sleep and massage functions help your body relax more deeply and increase blood circulation.
Develop Healthy Eating Habits
Making healthier eating choices is another way to boost your immune system naturally. Certain foods are rich in antioxidants, essential nutrients, and lead the way to better gut health.
Healthy fats, like those found in salmon and olive oil, can help decrease inflammation and help your immune system fight off pathogens. Olive oil, a major anti-inflammatory food, has been linked to decreased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Salmon and other fatty fishes are rich in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Other nutrients and antioxidants can come from eating things like fruits, nuts, and seeds. The fiber found in plant-based foods helps your gut health. A healthy gut is an important way to defend against pathogens and boost your immune system, as well.
Eating healthier meals is also an easy way to improve heart health naturally, too!
Practice Managing Stress Levels
Managing your stress level is one of the biggest ways to boost your immune system naturally. While occasional short-term experiences of stress, ones that last from minutes to a couple hours, may actually be slightly beneficial to kickstarting your immune system’s response, chronic stress has the exact opposite effect.
The long term impacts of stress on your body can change and suppress your immune system’s response, leaving it vulnerable. It frequently leads to increased inflammation within the body. Unchecked chronic stress can also leave your body more susceptible to some types of cancers.
To manage your stress levels, there are endless simple activities you can do. You can even combine these activities with other steps on our list, such as a night time routine! As you start preparing to wind down for the evening, take a few minutes to practice meditating in your zero gravity chair or on the couch. If meditating isn’t your thing, you could try simple breathing exercises to de-stress or try listening to calming music.
Exercise Regularly and Stay Active
Staying active and exercising regularly are easy ways to boost your immune system naturally. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout, just anything that will raise your heart rate for a period of time several days a week. You could go for a brisk walk, practice yoga, or even learn activities to do while relaxing your zero gravity chair!
If you’re a person who enjoys working out and staying fit, it’s important to have a post-workout recovery routine. For example, taking a shower after exercising not only helps keep your body loose but also provides crucial hygienic practices that actually help boost your immune system, as well. See? We told you simple daily tasks are all it takes!
Pro Tip: You don’t have to let the pandemic stand in the way of staying fit and healthy. After this, check out our guide on ways to stay active at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other Self Care Activities and Mental Health Exercises
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of self care activities for our overall well being. Taking a little time each day to take care of yourself is one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your immune system naturally that you can do!
While there are lots of ways to implement self care at home during quarantine and beyond, a commonly overlooked one is practicing positive thinking. It sounds so simple (and is!) but the effects of emotion on our bodies is often highly underestimated. Negative emotions can actually weaken your immune system. Conversely, positive emotions and positive thinking can work to boost your immune system naturally.
Other self care activities that can have positive effects on your mood and boost your immune system include learning a new skill, taking up a fun hobby, or anything that improves your mood. You’ll find that your physical and mental health are very strongly connected.
Finding ways to boost your immune system naturally isn’t hard! It’s as simple as a few daily changes that will improve your overall health. Making healthier food choices, staying active, and choosing a zero gravity chair to improve sleep (and provide other health benefits!) will have you feeling great and staying healthy.
The health benefits of zero gravity chairs doesn’t stop at better sleep quality. Check out the benefits of zero gravity chairs for all ages!
