Improving Immunity Part 3 - Exercise
Tanner Mackenzie • May 29, 2021
Exercise's Role in Immune Health
In this third installment of Improving Immunity, we will take a closer look at exercise’s effects on immune function. Most of us intuitively know that exercise should improve your immune system function; exercise has positive effects on basically every aspect of human physiology. As more than just curious bystanders to our own health, let’s take a look at exactly how exercise impacts our immunity.
What Effect Does Exercise Have on Our Immune Systems?
The effects of exercise on our immune function are very much related to how long and how hard we train. Exercising at moderate intensity for up to an hour increases a whole host of
immune activity, including anti-inflammatory molecules and antibodies. Prolonged exercise at high intensity can do precisely the opposite, suppressing immune function. With prolonged, intense exercise you see inflammation, muscle damage, and stress. Although much of what we know about how exercise affects our immune system comes from research done from 1990 onwards, as early as 1902 we already knew this basic principle of “overexertion”. A study by
Larrabee showed that white blood cell counts in Boston marathon runners were similar to those with certain diseases.
Even though these acute effects are short-lived, over time they can enhance, or damage, our body’s functionality. For example, regular, moderate exercise improves immunosurveillance (recognizing bacteria, viruses and cancer cells) over time. Further, all-cause mortality (or your chance of dying regardless of cause) decreases sharply with even a small amount of regular exercise, then increases sharply at the highest levels of activity. This corroborates the idea of a compromised immune system with too little (or too much!) exercise. The middle is the way!
How Do These Effects Benefit Us?
Aside from improved immunosurveillance, regular exercise can also reduce inflammation (even though it increases it acutely) and
reduce illness! The short-term effects of exercise training can, over time, positively impact
tumorigenesis (cancer),
atherosclerosis (heart disease), and other diseases. Following the overexertion principle introduced earlier, there are correlations between long, intense exercise and increased risk for illness such as upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Take a look at the graph below comparing risk of URTI amongst sedentary, active, and very active individuals.
Adapted from
Nieman
How Does Exercise Improve Longevity Related to Immune Function?
Aside from all the short- and long-term benefits we’ve already discussed, working out has been shown to confer benefits to immune function no matter how old you get! When comparing sedentary against active elderly men and women, active individuals tend to have greater white blood cell function and reduced illness! There are a great number of studies that indicate that immunosenescence, or a dysfunctional immune system as a function of age, can be staved off by regular exercise.
All in all, let’s keep doing what we all know how to do! Train, get outside, walk, be active! And don’t forget, when your body tells you to slow down or take a break, you should listen. Your immune system will thank you!
Andrew has been a Nova member for 9 years. One of his long standing goals was to do his first triathlon. He has been working towards this for years and just at the end of August he did it!
If you're doing all the “right things” — working out, eating clean, trying to stay consistent — but still struggling with stubborn belly fat, low energy and slow results, you’re not alone.
Tanya’s dedication to rebuilding her health after surgery offers valuable lessons and perspective for anyone facing setbacks.
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 .
Congratulations to Sonya Jeyaseelan, Our July 2025 SuperNova!
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!
Check out the interview with Beth to see the habits, mindset and lifestyle shifts that helped her reach her goals
Simon’s 6-Week Transformation: From Stressed & Stuck to Strong & Energized
Simon joined Nova through the LeanDads 12-week program in February. Like many busy professionals...
