30 Days of Self Healing – Day 13
How to boost your immune system and brain with exercise
“ Exercise heals by triggering the release of healing chemicals.”
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini
Every second of every day, your body is under siege by armies of microscopic invaders. What keeps your body from succumbing to the infections and diseases that these bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi are trying to inflict? Thank your body’s defense force, otherwise known as the immune system. Your immune system is made up of many different types of immune cells. Among them are T-helper-1 (Th1) cells and T-helper-2 (Th2). Th2 cells attack bugs when they first enter the bloodstream; if the bugs get established, Th1 cells go to work. If the Th1 part of your immune system is weak, it can take a long time to shake off colds, flus, and other infections (and there is an increased risk of more serious diseases). What’s more, the immune-system balance of Th1 and Th2 cells is often at the root of many conditions, including autoimmune issues and allergies.
Exercise helps regulate this balance by enhancing the activity of Th1 cells. For example, low-intensity exercise, such as walking, yoga, or tai chi, has been shown in research to boost the Th1 side of the immunity equation. Case in point: Out of China is a study that tested the effects of tai chi on the immune system. In the study, 30 healthy tai chi devotees had their T-cell count compared to 30 who did not practice tai chi. Before exercising, a blood sample was drawn. Already, those trained in tai chi had a higher number of T cells than the untrained. Then after a 20-minute bout of tai chi, the exercise group gave another sample. There was a 13 percent average increase in active T cells over their original level! The practical applications of this research are obvious. I’d say that if you find yourself often coming down with colds, the flu, or other infections, try 30 to 60 minutes of walking, yoga, or tai chi five to seven days per week.
