Immunity vs. Excercise - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

DollyR · 01-18-2006, 12:25 AM

Have any of you read that you boost your immunity by daily exercise? I am dealing with severe tonsillitis and have to stay home. One of my friends told me if I got out more and exercised I would not get sick so often. Any good sites out on the web to read more on this? Has anyone seen a difference in thier amount of colds etc.... since they started to exercise?

Monkeybabies · 01-18-2006, 12:57 AM

You know, I am not quoting anything here, but I have heard the same thing. Excercise does boost immunity....just like eating less junk food boost immunity. I don't know how I know this, I just do,

I would be curious to find some literature on this.

famograham · 01-18-2006, 02:05 AM

I'd be interested too!
And what the HECK is going on with all the tonsilitis????
That now makes THREE of us on the board in the past week

I'd personally have the OTHER problem that seems to run in 3FC water

Get better soon, OK? I feel your pain!

Linda

kykaree · 01-18-2006, 03:59 AM

I am a chronic asthmatic and get every cold going. And recurrent tonisilitis. Since I have started exercising I haven't had a cold or problems with the tonsils. I could just be lucky!!!! And I probably have jinxed myself now!!!

Get well soon!!!

DollyR · 01-18-2006, 04:42 AM

Tonsillitis sucks. I probably got it from the kids at school. I am staying away from work at least through tomorrow. This is wearing me out.

Anyway back to the exercise thing. I guess exercise would promote better blood circulation and make other things move around faster. I think once I get this mess out of my system I am going to make sure I take a long walk even for pleasure everyday. Unless it is freezing then I will do the WATP tape.

Kykaree I was hoping you would jump in here. I have noticed how much you talk about exercising and was hoping you would come back with a positive affirmation about not having any colds etc.

Anyone else out there see the same effects?

f(x) · 01-18-2006, 06:12 AM

There are lots of things that increase immunity. Exercise is one along with a healthy diet and adequate sleep. Stress has a big impact on the immune system and when you are under stress you immunity goes down. Tonsils are part of the lymphatic system and serve as a filter for pathogens that need to be purified out before they are can go into the rest of the body. They capture a lot of nasty stuff and sometimes become infected. Tonsillitis is a drag not to mention painful. I don't think it is odd particularly that there is a lot of tonsillitis now because it is cold and flu season. Also people are spending more time in doors and it makes an environment where pathogens can travel easily.

As far as outdoor exercise goes I have not heard or read anything about it. I exercise outside no matter what the weather and rarely get sick. I also get lots of fresh air by keeping my windows open a little and do not run the heat much. I have a good tolerance for cold but not everyone does. I work as a nurse in a hospital and am remarkably healthy considering everything I come in contact with. My experience is anecdotal so it may mean nothing overall.

If you are going to exercise out side wait until you feel better. Don't over stress your body when you're sick because it will slow down your recovery.

boiaby · 01-18-2006, 07:32 AM

Absolutely, I've noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of time I spend being sick. I'm a migraine sufferer who used to experience severe headaches almost daily, and now I rarely get a true migraine. My colds are less severe and occur less often, and my chronic heartburn is now non-existent. My recent bout with the stomach flu only knocked my out of commission for two days, rather than a full week as in flu’s of the past, and I feel completely back to my old self as of this morning. I feel like my ability to handle and fight off illness has vastly improved. Now, whether it's due to significant weight loss or the implementation of daily exercise, I just dunno,

but I do know this, I figure I gotta be doing something right, cause I feel fantastic!

So, you might as well give it a whirl, cause it certainly couldn't hurt, right?

BTW, sorry about the tonsillitis! I had it chronically as a kid and had to have my tonsils out. I hope you're feeling better soon!

Beverly

Meg · 01-18-2006, 09:29 AM

There's a timely article on msnbc.com this morning: Working Out May Help Prevent Colds, Flu. It says, in part:

Quote:

David C. Nieman, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., and a former president of the International Society of Exercise Immunology, said his research shows that moderate exercise increases the recirculation of important immune cells, especially from bone marrow, the lungs and the spleen. It has the effect of cleaning up the body.

“Over time this adds up, much like a housekeeper who comes to your house every day for a half hour. At the end of a month, your house looks a lot better,” Nieman said.

But to achieve such beneficial effects, someone has to exercise about five times a week, Nieman said.

Yep, exercise DOES boost our immune systems!

barbygirl43 · 01-18-2006, 10:31 AM

I'm such a survivor geek. I thought you were looking for ways to have immunity from doing exercise by just looking at the title

DollyR · 01-18-2006, 08:01 PM

Here are a couple of quotes from the MNBC article:

“The general consensus, I believe, is that 30 minutes, three or four times a week, is generally considered to have positive effects,” said Michael Flynn, who studies exercise’s effects on the immune system at Purdue University in West Lafayette.

David C. Nieman, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., and a former president of the International Society of Exercise Immunology, said his research shows that moderate exercise increases the recirculation of important immune cells, especially from bone marrow, the lungs and the spleen. It has the effect of cleaning up the body.

“Over time this adds up, much like a housekeeper who comes to your house every day for a half hour. At the end of a month, your house looks a lot better,” Nieman said.

Makes sense that the body gets recirculated. When I get over this I am going to start walking to work. It is about 40 minutes there and 40 minutes back. It might get me to enjoy exercising again. I used to be really into it in my early 30's but I lost my drive for it.

Goddess Jessica · 01-20-2006, 12:47 AM

My sister suffered from chronic Tonsillitis (and strep throat) and the main cause? Smoking. I mean, it makes sense but I didn't even think of that. They were going to take her tonsils out when she quite and she's never had another episode.

DollyR · 01-20-2006, 05:57 PM

Wow, that's interesting. I think one of my issues is the pollution in Seoul. You figure 16 million people packed into this small area and all driving. It makes for quite a bit of pollution. I use an air filter at night in my bedroom and I think that helps a lot. The summer months I live out in the country at my sister's place in the states so I have a chance to breath in the salt air which I think makes a big difference in health. I also work in a proffession where germs are passed along easily. I think building my immunity now is a big step towards better health when I am in my old age.