How Much Exercise Does It Take to Boost Immunity?

Exercising may make our immune systems more than five times better at fighting infection. The immune-boosting effects may also be one of the reasons why it seems to help both prevent cancer and improve cancer survival.
For more on the benefit of exercise, check out:
• Exercise vs. Drugs for Depression (nutritionfacts...)
• Longer Life Within Walking Distance (nutritionfacts...)
• Standing Up for Your Health (nutritionfacts...)
• How Much Should You Exercise? (nutritionfacts...)
For the impact of exercise on weight loss, check out:
• The Exercise “Myth” for Weight Loss (nutritionfacts...)
• The Secret to Weight Loss Through Exercise (nutritionfacts...)
• Is It the Diet, the Exercise, or Both? (nutritionfacts...)
Overexertion can increase risk of infection, but there are things we can do to mediate the effect. See, for example, Preserving Athlete Immunity with Chlorella (nutritionfacts...) and Preserving Immune Function in Athletes with Nutritional Yeast (nutritionfacts....
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Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at nutritionfacts.... and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.
Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at nutritionfacts.... You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.
Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
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[@NutritionFactsOrg]

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[@adamd9418]

"Exercise can potentially make our immune system 5x better at fighting infection..." - that's reason enough for me to keep moving!

[@suemichaelsen8486]

Thank you, Dr Greger. 75 ys old, walk 45 mins daily on treadmill, do 45 mins floor and standing exercise daily. 6 hrs of Tai Chi and Chi Kung weekly.

[@YD-uq5fi]

The bare minimum needed is either : a) 20 minutes of brisk walking 3 times a week. b) 12 minutes of jumping jacks on a trampoline 3 times a week. That is just the bare MINIMUM. Adequate would be twice that, plus some level of strength training with free weights.

[@G-rig6969]

You forgot to add FACT! Lol That's stuff all, like barely moving at all. I would have thought you should aim for 40 min of walking a day to be the minimum.

[@greger589]

I've started fasting 18 hours a day and completely quit sugar plus I walk ten to fifteen thousand steps a day and feel twenty years younger than my sixty years.

[@G-rig6969]

Good work. I fast until break-fast 😂.

[@jeffwilliams7054]

Soooo, ..how much exercise?: daily weekly and or high intensity medium intensity, or weight lifting or aerobic, or what combination how often for how long please? "How Much Exercise Does It Take to Boost Immunity?" ??

[@curcumin417]

@@jeffwilliams7054 30 mins of aerobic daily, although even 6 minutes/day is beneficial! Any movement!

[@botzer8817]

The more you do the better it is, higher intensity seems better

[@lorah3005]

👍 Whole food plant based for the environment and health; vegan for the victims!

[@Incredible43]

@@lorah3005 💯👍

[@BattlewarPenguin]

One can't love exercise enough. It's truly wonderous

[@gm7304]

How about throwing me down 25 Jumping Jacks for this awesome video.

[@lbmusic444]

More reasons to continue calisthenics work. Got a little chuckle at the end of the video, “Bill Cosby.” Haha, Thanks for this info and the immune boost

[@wos9804]

Normally I took 7 days to get better from cold but after regular exercise decreased to 3 days

[@AndrewPawley11]

I love this channel!

[@nazokashii]

So fascinating! Thank you so much

[@Mede_N]

Please include the sample sizes of the studies presented, as these are a good proxy for assessing the statistical power of the studies presented. (Nutrition literature - especially older literature - often lacks sufficient statistical power).

[@dianeladico1769]

Sources cited are on the website.

[@Mede_N]

@@dianeladico1769 I watch the video to avoid having to look through all the sources on the website :) not much additional work for him, but a huge gain for audiences with statistical background-knowledge.

[@dianeladico1769]

@@Mede_N Considering he's writing a book, wrapping up a nationwide tour to promote his last book, recording videos, writing his blog, managing his responsibilities for NutritionFacts, preparing CME webinars, moving his primary residence to the other side of the continent and goodness knows what else, it seems as though someone who is that interested in one aspect of the studies he cites could invest a few minutes to look it up themselves in the links provided.

[@Mede_N]

@@dianeladico1769 Nutritional science has already a quite bad reputation regarding statistical analyses and study design. Many studies are extremely underpowered and drawn conclusions should be taken with an enormous grain of salt. Giving just the number of participants would help to judge the size of the grain needed. Everyone is busy and since he already cites specific parts of the papers indicating that he already has the information at hand, he could just add it as a small note below the paper or result.

[@dianeladico1769]

@@Mede_N I agree that some studies aren't ideal in many aspects, number of participants included. From what I've seen in his videos and books he's careful to mention when a study he features has flaws or is particularly good in some aspect. The mere fact he included a study as part of his recommendations tells me he feels it's worthy. This video has 24 studies cited. IMHO it would disrupt the flow and lengthen the video if he mentioned the number of participants for each one. Even adding it to the notes would take away resources from other projects and only benefit a small portion of his viewership, particularly since everything is listed and if you are that interested, look it up. We each must be responsible for our own health and that includes taking the time to make use of the tools he provides to answer your specific questions.

[@FredinahMawia]

I was exercises the I gave up but after watching this I had to continue since I started I exercise I can now feel my body thankyou

[@jodieroberts7882]

Probably why hubs and I haven’t really been sick since we moved to SWFL, 11 years ago.

[@KJSvitko]

Most elderly people have problems getting up off the floor. As a child you spend a lot of time on the floor, adults do not. Doing yoga / stretching exercises on the floor can improve balance, mobility, flexibility and the ability to get up and down.. Just getting up and down to the floor in a controlled manner is difficult for many older adults. Play with your children on the floor. Bend over, get down and pull weeds in your garden. Play with a pet on the floor. The more effort you make to work on balance and flexibility will pay dividends as you age.

[@steveguti6452]

I would appreciate it Deeply if anyone could pray for me I'm very sick with chronic pain from long time illness please pray for me I'm suffering praying for everyone Everyday God bless you all

[@lindapb6529]

I will💜

[@belindaknowles7440]

@@lindapb6529 I will too.

[@Joseph1NJ]

🙏

[@bhanumathikalyanasundaram.4930]

Will definitely pray for your good health 🙏 😊

[@Megan41ish]

❤

[@yotil2360]

The team behind Michael Greger is the special forces of the masses. They are at the Price's Law peak, in health.

[@manumaster1990]

nice

[@_anyone5962]

What about over exercise? How much exercise will backfire, make you so tired and lower the immune response?

[@zuffenhaussen]

@@_anyone5962 your body will tell: pain, injury, swollen tendons, unability to perform the workout well, etc.. Resting is also part of the equation.

[@sudd3660]

probably when you are tired, or when you get more sick. over training has those symptoms.

[@G-rig6969]

Just don't overtrain. Recovery, nutrition and sleep is important. Pretty easy just listen to your body.

[@peterz53]

Study by Janet Lord of older long term exercisers showed preserved thymus function and immune function. Also better vaccine response. SO it might be that studies need to assess older people who have exercised for a longer period of time to gauge true effects.

[@michaelbalfour3170]

Not hating or anything but what is all the Christian spam in the comments?

[@Linda-uz9sp]

I've noticed this on a lot of sites.

[@KababSaroof]

Likely bots, also the ones who are replying to the main comment. Makes you wonder.. What would a WPBF diet look like for a bot? 😂

[@Mr.N0.0ne]

They are all from the one account and it appears to be a spam bot account as it has over 1000 subscribers but no content. I am not sure what is gained from such an account as it does not appear to be selling anything or linking to any sites.

[@teachertrx1204]

Interesting. I noticed it too and wondered why a Christian would go to a nutrition site asking for prayers. By the way, I'm a Christian and wouldn't do such a thing. It's weird.

[@ScheveSneeuwSchuifSchep]

Just spam bots, report their comments and accounts and they'll go away

[@ericgeorge8449]

A laughter study that uses Gallagher is *not* controlled for age of the participants.

[@sdtayw]

We had Bill Cosby albums as kids & still laugh about them today. Despite his "problems" , he was so funny. Chicken heart still makes me laugh😅 and the bit about Noah! Laughter is great!

[@dianeladico1769]

@@sdtayw I would have totally spread Jell-O all over the floor when I was a kid. My poor parents.

[@MegaGoddessofLove]

Ugh why did you have to mention him at the end? Lol

[@sibilakshman9575]

Surprise, exercises make you live longer

[@Addy_Hawaii]

I'm still in bed

[@AAW60-85]

I do enjoy your videos and backed by science too. Although the studies you cite are old and a good deal of them have follow up studies that would be better. Science has changed a lot (improved) in the 15 - 20 years since a great deal of the studies your videos are based on. Why not use more current studies?

[@doragreen3887]

Bill Cosby😂

[@Just4AZ1]

I tried exercising but realized I couldn't bc I didn't want to.

[@patrick-louisvincent4360]

The best thing is to exercise and avoid toxic injections. It's a question of common sense.

[@steveguti6452]

Jesus Christ died for our Sins according to the scriptures and that he was Buried and he rose Again the third day praise God praying for everyone Everyday God bless you all...

[@Dumbledore6969x]

🤣🫵😂

[@teachertrx1204]

Why are you posting this Christian stuff on a nutrition site?

[@evanlughfahy9778]

@@steveguti6452 FRODO LIVES!!!

[@sherri.]

@@steveguti6452 You’re in the wrong group. 🤪

[@NonchalantWalrusParty]

Go away with your children's stories.

[@steveguti6452]

Urgent emergency please join me in prayer for all those affected families children animals massive life threatening Situations hurricane beryl massive wildfires massive heatwave in USA they desperately need your prayers please pray for them God bless you all