WINTER WELLNESS
We often hear about “boosting immunity”, but is this something we can or need to do? Quite simply, if you have been living a healthy lifestyle all through the summer odds are you don’t need to make much of a change. Have a read through the notes below and see if you can or need to make any changes to avoid those extra winter sniffles..
Fitness
Firstly, moderate amounts of moderate intensity exercise (which is what a majority of gym goers do) has been proven to boost our immunity levels (1, 2, 3). In the gym, out of the gym, wherever. I personally have found that continuing training when starting to feel a cold coming on prevents it from developing into anything beyond sniffles. Of course, making extra sure to sanitise whatever equipment I have been using to protect other gym users. On the rare occasion it flares into full-blown illness I skip the gym in favour of going for walks in the open air or doing some gentle yoga at home. I don’t like the idea of snotting and coughing all over other people in the gym. It is important to note, however, that high intensity, high frequency training over long periods of time can have the opposite effect. Studies have shown that high level athletes training for events are actually more susceptible to upper respiratory tract infections, but for most of us this isn’t a concern. That’s why it is important to make sure we never over-train and always stay within healthy exercising parameters.
Nutrition
Keeping our weight and body fat percentage at a healthy level is also crucial for keeping well. Obesity has been shown in a number of studies to positively correlate with increased risk of upper respiratory tract infections and symptom severity (4, 5). As such it is important to make sure we are not succumbing to too many hot chocolates with whipped cream and indulging too heavily in the comfort of calorie-laden seasonal foods. Though having these once in a while is absolutely OK!
When it comes to food for immunity it is best to focus on all the things you usually should – generally avoiding heavily processed foods like sweets and cakes and fast food, trying to eat organic when you can, getting your five-a-day (at a minimum) and keeping your calories at a level to meet your individual needs. The evidence for things like lemon and ginger and other “superfoods” is so limited that it wouldn’t be ethical of me to suggest eating more of a particular fruit or vegetable. My only bit of advice is that a warm honey and lemon drink is great for a sore throat and adding some ginger or cayenne will give a great kick to wake you up from the stupor of a snotty nose and heavy head.
Wellness
Just because it is chilly doesn’t mean we should totally eschew outdoor activities. A brisk walk on a cold morning can do wonders for your circulation and gets the blood pumping. You get your steps in and you feel lovely and warm. Not only is it good for you physically, but getting out when the days are shorter can have a big positive impact on mental health which in turn again improves immunity. Be careful if you suffer with cold induced asthma (as I do) to cover your mouth with a scarf to warm the air as you breathe it in. Also, if you are taking your dog out when it is freezing be careful to stay off the paths as they are often gritted and this can really hurt your dog’s paws. Kids love to play outside in any weather, so just because it looks a little drizzly doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be outdoors either. In Scandinavian countries they actually leave their children to nap outdoors in their prams in all weather – including snow! So bundle up in hats and coats and scarves and explore your local park or woods… or even your back garden. Perhaps your kids aren’t into going for a structured walk, so simply heading to the playground will be great for everyone. Indoor play centres are hotbeds for coughs and colds and best avoided. It is also worth knowing that for children exposure to coughs and colds is generally a good thing. As they are growing up their immune system is growing and learning too. That’s why children catch a lot more illnesses than adults do. Their immune system is being exposed and as such learning how to deal with that particular illness or bug. So, whilst it is no fun at all for anyone in the family when a little one is unwell there is a little bit of a silver lining.
Have a wonderful winter and don’t let the cold weather stop you from doing all the things you usually would!
References
Nieman, D. C. (2011). Moderate exercise improves immunity and decreases illness rates. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 5(4), 338-345.
Nieman, D. C. (1994). Exercise, infection, and immunity. International journal of sports medicine, 15(S 3), S131-S141.
Gleeson, M., & Walsh, N. P. (2012). The BASES expert statement on exercise, immunity, and infection. Journal of sports sciences, 30(3), 321-324.
Mullish, B. H., Marchesi, J. R., McDonald, J. A., Pass, D. A., Masetti, G., Michael, D. R., ... & Wang, D. (2021). Probiotics reduce self-reported symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection in overweight and obese adults: should we be considering probiotics during viral pandemics?. Gut Microbes, 13(1), 1900997.
Tang, M., Henderson, R. J., Holbrook, J. T., Que, L. G., Mathews, A. M., Wise, R. A., ... & Lang, J. E. (2019). Does obesity increase respiratory tract infections in patients with asthma?. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 7(3), 954-961.
