It's not what you think!

With the flu and the coronavirus raging through communities this time of year, it's hard not to think about ways to strengthen your immune system. I recently walked into a coworker's office to find him "doing a line of vitamin C." This really consisted of him tearing open one of those Emergen-C packets and eating it straight. Yuck! Did it really help him? I lean on the side of "absolutely no way," but he also has yet to contract either the flu or the coronavirus, never mind a cold, so we'll say that the jury is out on that.

I try to pound the pavement with my running shoes pretty regularly, and these days most of my workouts have been long and slow. This is mainly because I can't find the wherewithal to do an intense track workout in the cold. I already had to find the wherewithal to step outside in the first place. Now I get lots of comments when I lace up my shoes and take to the streets during my lunch break at work, and they usually regard my health.

"You're gonna get sick!" "It's too cold to run! You should stay inside." That sort of thing.

Some people seem to think that high-intensity exercise can lower your immune system—not something that you want during the wintry months when the flu, colds, and other viruses are running wild.

But what does running have to do with your immune system really? Let's take a look.

The Myth

Since the 1980s, scientists have believed that forms of intense exercise can lower your immune system. They came to this conclusion after following along with some marathon runners post-race. Many of the competitors self-reported coming down with various infections. And then, there you have it, case closed: taxing your body with intense exercise can lead to illness.

But what's the science behind this? Well, since high-impact activities put stress on your body, even for a limited amount of time, your body risks injury, releases the toxin lactic acid, and generally feels itself go under attack. Recovery time is short, allowing your immune system to briefly go down (depending on how hard your run is, your immune system can weaken for up to three days) and for those viruses to take hold. 

Get your post-workout rest so you don't get sick! Courtesy of pexels.com.

But that means a lot of stuff has to go wrong at the right time. It also means that you're probably not taking care of your body as well as you should be. In other words, the workout isn't going to make you sick as much as how you workout and how you recover will.

The Solution

Look, we've talked about it before: recovery time is important. If you have an intense workout one day, go lighter the next day. Taper your long runs; even take days of complete rest. Take care of your body by leaving yourself plenty of time to rest (sleep!), decompress after a hard day, and eat healthy foods.

Ultimately, if you keep a balanced workout schedule, your runs are going to strengthen your immune system. Running strengthens your heart, lungs, muscles, and bones. Your body will be better -equipped to kick into gear when you come across a pesky cold virus. And those three at-risk days after an intense workout like a marathon or other kind of race? Just make sure to wash your hands and give your body a little extra love and personal space.

How do you stay healthy while working out in the winter? Share your tips in the comments!

The Run-Around is a weekly feature, focusing on fitness in and around Annapolis, MD.