At Alora, we are focused on health and wellness and a crucial aspect of it is the immune system. Your immune system is your body's primary defense against harmful invaders, especially during the colder months when germs are more prevalent. While your immune system cannot protect you from all germs and illnesses, there are steps you can take to enhance its performance. The typical advice like taking vitamins, exercising, and eating healthily is well known, but have you ever thought of exploring other options?
Fortunately, there are numerous exciting ways to improve your immune system. In this article, you'll find 7 surprising methods to boost your immune system naturally.
- Sauna: The sauna is a great way to warm up and sweat out toxins. Sweating is an important part of your immune system as it eliminates harmful chemicals that may have accumulated. Sauna sessions also improve circulation, which helps to heal tissues in the body. The concentrated heat from a sauna has been shown to reduce body-wide inflammation by circulating oxygen-rich blood, making it an effective way to fight off bacteria and viruses.
There are various types of saunas like traditional, dry, steam, and infrared saunas that you can find at a spa or gym, or even purchase one for personal use. If those options are not feasible, you can create steam in your bathroom for a DIY at-home sauna using a hot shower. To get the most out of sauna therapy, try hot and cold therapy by alternating between a sauna and an ice bath.
- Laughter: Laughter has been found to have numerous benefits such as boosting immunity, lowering stress hormones, preventing heart disease, reducing anxiety and tension, and enhancing resilience. This is because laughter releases dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that improves your mood and appetite, and also increases the body's production of endorphins, the feel-good chemical that can temporarily relieve pain.
If you need a mood or immune boost, call a friend or watch your favorite comedy to have a good laugh.
- Cold Water Immersion: To maintain a robust immune system, you should do cold water immersion daily or as often as possible. Cold water immersion has several benefits, including stimulating leukocytes, the white blood cells that help fight off illness. The cold detoxifies your body and enhances your immune system by contracting the lymphatic system and forcing fluid through the lymph nodes.
Aside from improving your immunity, ice baths also increase your energy, support recovery, boost your mood, provide pain relief, and enhance mental health.
- Dry Brushing: Dry brushing is a way to stimulate your lymphatic system, which is a network of pathways inside your body that supports your immune system. It's important to remember that lymph nodes are located all over your body, so it's good to brush regularly. It's recommended to dry brush no more than once or twice a week.
Dry brushing removes dead skin cells, prevents skin infections, and encourages the production of vitamin C, which stimulates lymphatic detoxification. To dry brush, use a natural fiber brush and brush in long, smooth, upward strokes starting from your feet and moving upwards. Afterwards, take a shower to remove any dry skin and moisturize to encourage even more lymphatic circulation.
If you experience muscle soreness or slight skin irritation, an ice bath can be beneficial for dry and/or irritated skin.
- Playing a Musical Instrument: You know that music can have a calming and uplifting effect, but did you know that playing music can have the same effect and boost your immunity? According to a 2016 study, a group that drummed together for 10 weeks
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- Encourage Writing
Studies have shown that writing down your thoughts and feelings can have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing. Expressing yourself through writing can help relieve stress, improve mood, and enhance the body's natural defenses against illness. The act of self-reflection and releasing pent up emotions through writing has been found to lower blood pressure, reduce insomnia, enhance liver function, and shorten hospital stays. Keeping a journal or notebook is an easy way to take a moment to reflect on your life and express yourself, even for just a few minutes.
- Embrace Gardening
Gardening can provide many benefits for your immune system, such as increasing the level of vitamins and nutrients in your body. It also helps to reduce stress, which can weaken the immune system. Gardening provides an opportunity to spend time outdoors and get some vitamin D from the sun, which strengthens the immune system by increasing the production of microbe-fighting proteins and reducing inflammation, infections, and even cancer cell growth. Additionally, gardening can help improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Boost Your Immunity with Cold Water Therapy
Prepare yourself for the cold and flu season by incorporating cold water therapy into your routine. Ice baths can not only enhance your immune system, but also reduce fatigue and recovery time, improve alertness and energy, and treat muscle and joint soreness, strain, and inflammation. Invest in your health with the Cold Water Therapy Recovery Pod - a revolutionary technology that can transform your health and recovery.