Can Strength Training Strengthen Your Immune System?

Can lifting weights strengthen your immune system?

The answer is yes!

The benefits of strength training know no bounds. I will never stop talking about how strength training can change your life. It may be single handedly the best thing you can do for your overall health and wellbeing. If I had to pick the best thing a person can do for their health it would be hands down without a doubt, strength training. 

I think people associate lifting weights with vanity and big muscles, not the overall health improvements and the positive cognitive effects. Lifting weights can improve your quality of life, what more do you need to hear?

Well I’ve got more in case you do.  Did  you know that regular strength training can improve your immune system? If you strength trained regularly during covid you lowered your chances of contracting it  just a bit because of the immune system boost from your strength work. This obviously only  applies to people presenting with basic overall health. 

According to Dr. Ryan Steele, DO, MSc, assistant professor of clinical medicine (rheumatology, allergy and immunology) at Yale School of Medicine:

“Exercise has a clear benefit in multiple areas of immune function, including anti-tumor response, immune surveillance, anti-inflammatory activity, and infectious susceptibility.” 

Hello anti-inflammatory! How many products do people buy and consume in the name of anti-inflammatory? I can’t count how many t-shirts I’ve stained trying to get my  turmeric in. Why do we care about anti-inflamm??? We care because it can help prevent disease, it can reduce pain, it can improve how you feel. Hello to anyone who takes Ibuprofen or NSAID. That is considered an anti-inflam.

The fact that strength training can lower your infectious susceptibility?! Like what are we waiting for? I don’t know how many people have been hit with an illness of some kind this winter. I know that tons of people get sick and to think there is something you can do to help besides washing your hands.  

Strength training regularly improves your immune system’s function and also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. To me that’s enough to hear to get me in the gym.

I can go on and on into an abyss of positives from strength training, but I won’t. I will stop with this for now. I will continue to go on and on about the benefits of lifting weights at least once a month on this blog if not more.