Improving Immunity Part 1 - Sleep
Tanner Mackenzie • April 10, 2021
The Benefits of Sleep
Immunity is a complex and multi-faceted area of study. As far back as 430BC, during the plague of Athens, humans were taking note of our bodies’ ability to fight off disease. Immunity continues to be a very active, evolving area of study. There are some things you can do that have been proven time and time again to positively impact your immune system’s performance In this three part blog series, we’ll take a look at three different basic elements of human nature that can impact your immunity.
Are You Getting Optimal Sleep?
Sleep is absolutely critical for optimal human function. When someone comes in to train at Nova Health Club, one of the first things we usually ask is “How did you sleep last night?” Not only does sleep impact your training performance, it also has an effect on your immune system. Getting more than six hours of sleep
reduces your chances
of catching a cold. Logically, this relationship between sleep and immunity should look different for those with greater sleep requirements. If your optimal amount of sleep is eight hours per night, your immune system is likely strongest with this eight hours rather than six.
Correlation between Sleep and Immune System
Recent studies have suggested that a circadian clock drives your immune function. Sleep restriction can disrupt your immune circadian rhythm by interacting with your immune cells. A recent study
created a model
for the relationship between sleep and immunity. The researchers formalized the idea that sleep primes immune cells, and provides a timing signal for the circadian clocks that produce new blood cells. White blood cells, of course, protect the body from infection. If they are not being produced in the right amounts at the right time, our immunity is compromised.
Bollinger et al.
suggest that “sleep disruption desynchronizes these clocks and, through this mechanism, deregulates immune responses.” In other words, if you want your immune system to work properly, get enough sleep!
Your sleep also changes when you are fighting off an infection. Your immune system signals changes to the brain that fragment your non-REM sleep and suppress your REM sleep. Researchers hypothesize that this
brings about fever, improving your recovery from sickness. Whether you are healthy, or sick, your sleep works to optimize your immune function for whatever situation you find yourself in.
Reduce Screen Light
One great way to improve your sleep hygiene, thereby boosting your immune system is to limit blue light into the evenings. This doesn’t mean you have to get off your screen entirely as soon as the sun sets but rather being aware of how late in the day you are going with your eyes fixed on a screen. With many of us working on computers past sundown, you should consider installing
f.lux. It is a free program that allows you to automatically change your computer’s display to warmer colors early in the morning and late at night. Windows and Macs have Night Light and Night Shift respectively, which perform in a similar way, but with less features.
In a world where we are trying to avoid illness especially related to Covid, focusing on sleep is one of the best things you can implement to maintain your health and strengthen your immunity. Let’s get those zzz’s!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Improving Immunity series, Diet!
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Do Hard Things Now, So Life Becomes Easier Later Modern humans default to the easy way but it's not our fault... Throughout human history, we were wired to survive constant hardship - scarcity of food, threats from predators, harsh environments and manual labor for everything. Our DNA evolved for survival in these conditions, not for modern living. Imagine an early human stumbling across a fruit tree. It made sense to gorge - there was no telling when the next meal would come. The human who gorged had a higher chance of survival than the human who only ate a few pieces of fruit. Practicing self-control in an environment of scarcity would have been a death sentence. Likewise, if given a chance to rest instead of walking miles or hunting, rest was the obvious choice. The problem? Our genes haven’t caught up with modern life. Today, food is everywhere. We don’t have to fight to meet our basic needs. Technology does the heavy lifting, cars replace walking, entertainment is on-demand and calorie-dense foods are always within reach. Left unchecked, our instincts will always lean toward easy options like overeating unhealthy foods (that are so easily accessible) or driving to the store instead of walking. In other words, we’re still hardwired to take the path of least resistance. But here’s the catch: Choosing easy now often means a harder life later and choosing hard now often means an easier life later. Most modern humans are overweight, stressed, tired and dealing with chronic health problems because we’re following outdated survival programming that no longer serves us. It’s time to become aware of these defaults. To override them. To consciously choose the hard thing - because doing hard things is what actually makes life easier in the long run. Hard things like: Going to bed on time instead of watching another episode Preparing a healthy meal instead of grabbing fast food Moving your body instead of sitting all day Walking or biking to the store instead of driving Managing stress with deep breaths and fresh air instead of pouring a drink Looking at your habits instead of masking symptoms with medication It might feel uncomfortable because it goes against everything your biological programming is urging you to do. But that’s exactly why it matters. Don’t think of it as punishment or sacrifice. Think of it as an investment. Every time you take the stairs instead of the elevator, cook instead of order out, or put your phone down to truly rest, you’re building a life that’s easier, richer, and more fulfilling down the road. And remember: Do easy things, and you’ll have a hard life. Do hard things, and you’ll have an easy life. Most of the above information is probably not new to you. That’s because we live in the information age with the internet and now AI - we already know what it is we need to do. The problem however is implementation. This is where having a customized plan and accountability comes in. If you know the hard things you need to do more of but struggle with breaking past your ‘default mode’ then contact us for a complimentary consultation HERE .
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Congratulations to Liz Belford, Our June SuperNova!
We are back with our second series of 'Pod Calls' available exclusively to our Nova Health Club members. Don't miss these unique sessions to help you level up your health and wellness game! What is a Pod Call? A Pod Call is a live online (webinar like)_ session with a Nova coach, offering support and insights on key health topics like fitness, nutrition, recovery and overall wellness. Why did we create Pod Calls? Our goal is your success and your health goals can not be built on fitness alone. After delivering thousands of personal training sessions, we noticed a disconnect between fitness sessions we were delivering and the other pillars of health (and lifestyle habits that happen outside of the gym). To get the most out of your health and your fitness sessions at Nova we need to link other pillars such as mindset, nutrition, stress and recovery. Training coaches who care about your results will agree that a couple hours of personal training each week is not enough time to workout AND learn everything you need to know about maximizing those workouts... Things like how to eat before or after workouts, what recovery habits should be practiced or the link between stress and working out are all subjects that you need to know on your health and fitness journey. Pod Calls are dedicated sessions where we teach you essential health and fitness insights that we can't often cover during your gym workouts. We hope you take advantage of these expert-led sessions that will enhance your workouts, teach you new concepts about health and bridge the gap between fitness and overall wellness. Upcoming Pod Calls (all times in EST) Mon Jun 2, 2025 (6:00pm) Topic: How To Eat Carbs For Better Energy, Muscle & Fat Loss Coach: Josh Allen Wed Jun 4, 2025 (2:00pm) Topic: Hip Mobility Using the 'CARS' (active session) Coach: Kim Vo Sat Jun 7, 2025 (12:00pm) Topic: Benefits of Single Leg & Arm Training for Overall Strength Coach: Matthew Nadler Tues Jun 10, 2025 (6pm) Topic: Releasing Neck Tension Coach: Zack Fernandez Wed Jun 18, 2025 (1:00pm) Topic: Training The Backside of The Core Coach: Colin Soltesz Thu June 19, 2025 (7:00pm): Topic: Ayurveda for Healthy Ageing Coach: Kayla Hutchinson These calls are free for Nova members and Zoom links for each call can be found in the Nova Mighty Networks platform. If you are not a Nova member and would like to attend any of these please email Info@NovaHealthClub.com for a seat. We look forward to seeing you then!
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