Supporting Your Immune System

You can’t boost your immune system, but you certainly can suppress it!

Now is the time to focus on health; not losing weight quickly or doing excessive amounts of exercise. 

I have scaled my training back to an amount that leaves me with lots more energy than normal as a way of supporting my immune system.

I check my pulse every morning with a pulse oximeter to monitor my health.

Maintain a normal amount of training for you. For some that’s a 30 minute run for others it’s a 90-minute indoor bike and an outdoor run. Do not dramatically increase the amount of time or intensity you exercise.

The Obvious Ones:

Eat a well-balanced diet aim to get your 5-7 a day, make it your mission to eat more fruit and veg (thankfully the supermarkets haven’t run out of that yet!)

Stay super hydrated

Get as much sleep as you can. A difficult one at the best of times but even more important now

The Not So Obvious Ones

Wash your hands before and after every session

Have a rest day from exercise every week (you can still go out for a walk)

Keep intensity low to moderate if you have done no high intensity workouts in the last 3 months. Now is not the time to really push your body.

Hard workouts can temporarily suppress the immune system. That’s why your build to a race with lots of long or intense sessions makes you are more susceptible to viruses!

Fuel your workouts properly (no fasted workouts for women) and eat a small snack after every workout and a normal meal within 2 hours.

No low carbohydrate diets, intermittent fasting, ketogenic, or excessive calorie restriction

Limit caffeine after 2pm; especially if you know it affects your sleep

Manage Psychological Stress

Headspace app has devised some free sessions to help us through this uncertain time

Yoga with Adriene - I have recommended her brilliant free videos for many years now. She has devised a calendar with free workouts every day in April x

Limit your exposure to the news. I now only watch the daily update from the PM. I feel much better in my day to day life because of this one change

Limit alcohol, find better or new solutions to deal with stress; like talking to someone. I am taking my own advice and sticking to my normal routine, one G&T on a Friday night and that’s it.

Supplements

There is sadly not enough evidence that there is a wonder pill out there which will protect us, yet. For good health I have always taken Vitamin D because I use SPF50+ every day. Omega 3 because I don’t eat quite enough oily fish. Menstruating women who exercise a lot, especially runners should consider taking an iron supplement.

If I can feel a cold coming on for many years, I have used Symprove. I have found it especially helpful during periods taking antibiotics and steroids for chest infections.

Whatever supplements you take, be sure you understand why you are taking them x