During a hectic time of a pandemic outbreak, where schools, businesses and even whole cities are beginning to close their doors in attempts to isolate, there are measures we can take everyday in order to help support a strong immune system.

The body’s immune system is a intricate system that helps defend our bodies from harmful pathogens such as infections, viruses, germs, toxins and more. With the recent concerns of the COVID-19 Virus, we wanted to give you some tips on how to take simple actions daily to help keep you safer, healthier and stronger.

While many of our media outlets are providing us with many of the social and external methods for defending ourselves against the virus, there are things we can do within ourselves and it starts with your daily habits.

Here are our Top 5 Tips on Supporting a Strong Immune System:

1. Eat a regularly balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Much of our immunity is supported through our gut health. Plenty of fiber-rich and vitamin and mineral-rich foods keep our bodies running optimally, while also moving toxins and waste from our digestive tract. Aim for 1-2 servings of vegetables per meal, and at least 2-3 servings of fruit per day.

2. Follow a regular exercise program a few times per week. Proper exercise helps maintain a healthy body weight, body composition and supports respiratory and cardiovascular health. A healthy and lean body also allows our bodies systems to function optimally, especially when under the distress of pathogens, or under distress in general. There is less inflammation occurring in a healthy and well-exercised body than one that is overweight/obese and/or sedentary.

3. Keep your lungs and heart healthy by practicing lifestyle choices such as avoiding smoking, and supporting a heart-healthy diet. Try to minimize the consumption of processed or fast foods, and going back to parts one and two: eat a balanced diet and follow a regular exercise program. Your body’s systems are all interconnected. When one system, such as the respiratory, or the cardiovascular, or digestive, suffers, then others are more likely to as well, especially the immune system.

4. Get plenty of sleep. One of the most under-rated activities us busy-bees can often neglect! Aiming for at least 7 hours of quality sleep is crucial in allowing our bodies to recover from the day’s stressors, fend off invading pathogens, or simply to reboot for the next day. If you’re extremely active, or you’re feeling run down or under the weather, considering 8-10 hours of sleep per night is ideal!

5. Manage stress levels with methods such as occasional breath work, meditation, journaling or doing activities that are relaxing and enjoyable to you. Our bodies undergo plenty of daily stressors already. Let alone the stressors of a major outbreak like that of the Coronavirus, and all of the fast-moving changes that are happening on the day to day. It’s important for us to minimize or manage the stressors we can in order to help our immune system functioning at its best. Slowing down doesn’t have to be a bad thing!

We at CrossFit Des Plaines are committed to helping you stay healthy and to continue to build strength as an athlete and a community as one. If you have any questions or concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we are more than happy to chat with you.

And as we’ve heard many times before: don’t forget to wipe down & wash up! Stay healthy, all.

CrossFit Des Plaines Team