You may already know that exercise helps you lose weight, lowers your blood pressure, and improves your mood. But did you also know that it can train your immune system to fight inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to infection and injury. It helps to heal wounds, fight off germs, and protect us from harm. However, sometimes inflammation can go overboard and cause more problems than it solves. Chronic inflammation can lead to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
That’s where exercise comes in.
A new study from York University shows that moderate exercise can change the way your immune cells work and make them more balanced and efficient. The study used a mouse model to examine how exercise affects the production of macrophages, which are white blood cells that act as the first responders in the body.
The researchers found that exercise of moderate intensity trained the precursors of macrophages in the bone marrow, where they are produced. Exercise changed the way these cells used oxygen and glucose to generate energy, and also changed the way they accessed their DNA. These changes made the macrophages more adaptable and less prone to excessive inflammation.
The study also found that these changes lasted for at least a week after exercise, suggesting that they were long-term. The researchers believe that these findings could translate well to humans, since the inflammatory response is very similar across mammals.
Exercise Your Way to a Healthier Immune System
The next phase of the research will involve collecting immune cells from human volunteers who will do exercises of various intensities. The goal is to see which workout routines are most beneficial to balance the inflammatory response. The researchers will also test how exercise affects inflammation in more complex diseases such as COVID-19 and autoimmune disorders.
The study’s lead author, Associate Professor and York Research Chair Ali Abdul-Sater, says that he hopes that by understanding the underlying mechanisms of how exercise benefits the immune system, this knowledge can be used to improve health outcomes.
He says that exercise is not only good for metabolic health, but also for immune health in the long run. He advises people to stick with moderate and persistent exercise, as it takes time for the immune cells to rewire their circuitry.
So, next time you hit the gym or go for a jog, remember that you are not only working out your muscles, but also your immune system. Exercise can help you keep inflammation in check and prevent or treat many chronic diseases. As Abdul-Sater says, “Inflammation is amazing, but we want it to be just right.”
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