Atlanta Health information

The Strong Connection Between Exercise and Immunity

Moderate activity can help keep you healthy
Are you constantly battling coughs or colds? Do you feel tired all the time? You might want to take a daily walk or follow a simple exercise routine a few times a week to help you feel better. Exercise not only helps your immune system fight off simple bacteria and viral infections, but it also decreases your chances of developing heart conditions, brittle bones and other serious diseases.

There are several theories as to exactly how exercise increases your immunity to certain illnesses.

Physical activity may help by flushing bacteria out from the lungs -- helping decrease the chance of a cold, flu or other airborne illness. It may also flush out carcinogens by increasing output of wastes, such as urine and sweat.

Exercise sends antibodies and white blood cells (the body's defense cells) through the body at a quicker rate. Because these antibodies are circulating more rapidly, they can detect illnesses earlier than normal. The increased rate of circulating blood may also trigger the release of hormones that "warn" immune cells of intruding bacteria or viruses.

• The temporary rise in body temperature may prevent bacterial growth. This allows the body to fight the infection more effectively. This is similar to what happens when you have a fever.
• Exercise slows down the release of stress-related hormones, which increases the chance of illness.

Exercise is beneficial, but be careful not to overdo it. If you already exercise regularly, it's best not to develop too vigorous a workout program in the hopes of increasing the immunity benefits. Heavy, long-term exercise (such as marathon running and intense gym training) could actually decrease the amount of white blood cells circulating through the body and increase the presence of stress- related hormones.

Studies have shown that the people who benefit most from starting (and sticking to) an exercise program are those who go from a sedentary lifestyle to a moderately energetic lifestyle. A moderate program can consist of:

• Bicycling a few times a week
• Daily 20 - 30 minute walks
• Going to the gym every other day
• Playing golf regularly

Exercise can help us feel better about ourselves, just by making us feel more energetic and healthier. So go ahead, take that aerobics class or go for that walk -- you'll feel better and healthier.

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Exercise can help reduce stress-related aging of cells

San Francisco, California: Brief exercise may help protect cells from stress-induced aging, say researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSV).

They discovered that as little as 42 minutes of daily exercise over a 3-day period can help protect against the effects of stress on telomere length. (Telomeres are pieces of DNA on the tips of chromosomes that act as protective sheaths, keeping the chromosomes from unraveling.) Previous research has shown that stress can affect the length of telomeres; short telomeres have been linked to a variety of health problems, including coronary heart disease, diabetes and early death.

"Telomere length is increasingly considered a biological marker of the accumulated wear and tear of living, integrating genetic influences, lifestyle behaviors, and stress," said Elissa Epel, PhD, one of the lead investigators and an associate professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry. "Even a moderate amount of vigorous exercise appears to provide a critical amount of protection for the telomeres."

Five ways to overcome the procrastination habit, enjoy better mental focus, and get more done

Are you a last-minute person? Do you put things off until they become urgent? Procrastination can come disguised in many ways but it always includes waiting until the last possible minute to do something. (Just as a side note, some people do in fact work best under pressure and their tendency to procrastinate works in their favor.)

However, most people dislike the feelings that come along with doing things at the last minute under pressure. They feel stressed! They feel bad for not having control over their emotions and actions. If this applies to you it is time to go to work on changing this habit. It can be done -- and following these steps can help:

1. Get organized. Being disorganized leads to chaos and feeling overwhelmed. Start by tidying up and organizing your life.
2. Focus on your goals. In the hectic world we're living in, it's easy to become so burdened with tasks that we don't know where to start. Take time to list down all the tasks and sort out those that are important in accomplishing your goals.
3. Take baby steps. The smaller steps aren't as intimidating and facilitate getting started. If a project can't be completed a little at a time over several days, keep up your momentum by focusing only on the next doable step.
4. Set deadlines. This is very important because nothing gets done if there is no deadline. Deadlines will give you a sense of urgency to take action. Reward yourself when you complete a task or a project.
5. Stay motivated. There are many things you can do to stay motivated. First, you must have a goal or desire to succeed. You can read books that are inspirational, paste motivational quotes around where you can see them, listen to upbeat music, attend seminars and hang around with people who are positive.

You have the power and the ability to conquer procrastination. Follow these simple steps, and you're sure to break out of the endless cycle of procrastination.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal, April 2011. Judy Ellison, Ph.D., is a psychologist, author and motivational speaker, She has inspired people around the world to reach within and find their passionate purpose to live a more meaningful life, To read more from Dr. Judy, check out her blog in the Wellness Center on trivita.com.

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