6 Lifestyle Habits to Improve Immunity

Are your bad habits interfering with your body’s ability to protect itself? Consider these six healthy lifestyle habits to boost your immune system.

1.  Reduce Stress.

Anxiety, stress, and tension may suppress your immunity and reduce your body’s ability to protect you from infection. Short-term causes of stress are not an issue but long-term causes of stress such as demanding jobs, or strained relationships may cause low-grade, chronic inflammation, and decreased resistance and immune response. Reduce stress by changing your lifestyle and include relaxing mind-body practices like yoga, journaling, or meditation. Also, consider taking some safe, relaxing medicines to help you relax and unwind.

2.  Get Enough Sleep. 

Immunity requires regular, peaceful sleep, and a persistent lack of sleep might make you more susceptible to infection. People who slept less than seven hours a night were considerably more likely to develop a cold, while people who slept poorly were more than five times more susceptible, according to one study. If you have trouble sleeping, consider a gentle, effective herb or supplement to help you get some rest.

3.  Be Active.

Regular moderate-intensity exercise boosts immunity, improves resistance, and may lower the risk of viral and respiratory infections. Excessive exercise, on the other hand, has a detrimental impact on the immune system and can increase the risk of illnesses, particularly respiratory infections. Exercise also reduces stress and enhances sleep, both of which are beneficial to boost your immune system. Maintain a healthy balance: aim for 30 minutes to an hour of moderate-intensity activity per day, such as walking, biking, hiking, or dancing.

4.  Weight Management.

Being overweight or obese can decrease your body’s tolerance to infections and change overall immune function. Excess body fat is connected to low-grade, chronic inflammation. If you’re overweight, your fat cells can trigger a cascade of inflammatory processes that disrupt normal immune responses. Obesity also affects immune cell activity, immune hormones, and lymph tissue, which are important components of the immune system. Obesity appears to be an independent risk factor for increased morbidity and death following flu infection, according to studies. If you’re overweight or obese, make healthy weight a priority by eating a well-balanced, whole-foods diet, exercising regularly, and taking safe weight-loss supplements.

5.  Clean Living

Environmental contaminants have a significant impact on immune function, and some toxins, such as cigarette smoke, diesel exhaust, and other air pollutants, can compromise immune function. Phthalates found in plastics, home cleansers, and personal care items may also disrupt immunity. Reduce or eliminate your exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution, and other pollutants, use natural cleaning and personal care products, and take supplements to assist your body’s natural detoxification pathways.

6.  Limit Alcohol Intake

Excessive alcohol use has been linked to significant changes in immune response and increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections, according to research. Heavy drinking also disrupts the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems’ defense processes, as well as the activity of some immune cells. Excessive alcohol intake depletes nutrients important for a healthy immune system and reduces sleep quality, decreasing immunity even more. If you drink, limit yourself to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.