Exercise is a great way to alleviate stress, increase strength, and increase muscle endurance. Overall, it’s a great way to stay healthy. Another benefit to regular exercise is it recycles your immune system, which helps prevent sickness like the Common Cold and the flu.
How exactly does exercise prevent you from becoming sick?
Well, for one, exercise causes you to breathe heavily and frequently. This allows your lungs to flush out any unwanted bacteria or microbes as you breathe. This especially helps prevent any diseases that reside inside your respiratory system.
Exercise also increases your body’s overall temperature. This can prevent bacteria from growing inside of you. It’s similar to what happens when you have a fever, except you’re don’t feel as though you’re dying in your bed.
Exercise also reduces the production of stress hormones. Chronic stress has been known for years to be a contributing factor to heart disease, but it also weakens your body’s immune system and exponentially increases the chance of you getting sick with diseases like the cold or flu.
The increase in blood pressure causes White Blood Cells to be circulated and replenished more quickly. If you remember middle school biology then you'll know that White Blood Cells are one of your bodies main defense mechanisms for fighting pathogens and disease.
Of course, exercise alone won't keep you from getting sick. A well-balanced diet and good hygiene are also important for maintaining a healthy body. Though, exercise is something that is within your control and grasp, and can be one of the reasons why you're feeling great while other people are miserable in bed.