Posted March 10, 2020

Have you ever noticed that fit people get sick less, but out of shape, sedentary people seem to catch most of the bugs that pass through the area? It’s true and there are good reasons for this.

Your gut microbiome is 80% of your immune system. If you have a balanced, diversified, and healthy gut microbiome, you will be able to fight off most bugs. Your microbiome also determines how fast you recover if a virus or bacteria does get through.

Studies have shown that exercise causes favorable changes to your gut microbiome, even independent of nutrition! This means people who exercise have better defenses and get well faster – even specifically against respiratory bugs like COVID 19.

The immune benefits of exercise also go well beyond just the microbiome though. Exercise also helps you have a positive attitude and better mood which also increases your resistance to bugs and sickness. It’s proven that optimists are healthier (and live longer) than pessimists. Exercise pumps up your T cells and mitochondria too, which help build your defenses and help you get better faster, with less duration and severity of symptoms. Plus, exercise reduces comorbidities, which we all know have more of an impact on survival rates for COVID than anything.

Did you know that stress drastically reduces your immune function (especially in older adults)? Exercise reduces stress significantly and the high-intensity style is the absolute best for stress reduction. X Gym is safe high-intensity exercise, and in just the right dose for immune system improvement, thanks to our own Xclusive methodology, invented by PJ, our founder, and exercise physiologist.

People who exercise are more likely to do other healthy habits because of its “keystone habit” effect which supports healthy lifestyle choices better. This is why it’s easier for people who exercise regularly to choose healthier foods, consume less sugar, drink more water, etc.

When you exercise, you are increasing your body temperature, which is the #1 enemy to viral and bacterial bugs. This is why you get a fever when you are ill. Exercise actually imitates a fever, in a way, so if a foreign invader is trying to multiply inside you, this is a huge advantage to fight it off. If you already are sick though, rest is best so your immune system can have all the energy it needs for what it’s supposed to do.

Viruses and bacteria hate oxygen, so when you are exercising and breathing harder, you are super-saturating your body and tissues with oxygen, wiping out all sorts of bugs that might be trying to get a foothold. Breathing harder also makes it more difficult for viruses and bacteria to get a foothold in your lungs.

Our adaptive immune system has certain types of antibodies, called immunoglobulins that fight foreign invaders. Exercise drastically boosts the number and effectiveness of these bug-killing warriors and additional immune defenses specifically to fight viruses like Covid-19.

Let us help you get your Vitamin X! As Xplained in the Vitamin X video below, Xercise is VITAL to your immune system and is said by many experts to be the single most important thing you can do for immune support!

X Gym offers several Xcellent options to keep your Xercise going. Whether you are a member of our Kirkland club, an member somewhere else in the world, or an X Gym Xercise App subscriber, there’s something for everyone, everywhere!

And now if you really want to geek out on some more science behind this, check out this guy’s post (released 12/1/20): https://highintensityhealth.com/exercise-is-essential-immune-system-health-scientists-say/