“A healthy immune system equals a healthy body.”- Anonymous

A healthy lifestyle as a whole is the best defense to improve your immune function and is greatly influenced by our everyday habits.

As fresh cases of COVID-19 start to surge, it is more important than before to start incorporating positive lifestyle habits into your life that can help you become healthy and boost your immune system to fight off any infections or diseases.

Here are 8 proven ways to boost your immunity, especially during COVID-19:

1. Be active & exercise regularly

Exercising regularly has been linked to an effective immune system as it relieves stress and depression. As per research, regularly exercising improves the immune system and increases your body’s production of antibodies. It also helps to release toxins from your body, thus energizing your cells and metabolism, improving cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, and protecting against a variety of diseases.

According to a study, exercising at least 5 days a week can reduce the risk of getting an upper respiratory infection by almost 50% as compared to having a sedentary lifestyle. 

Being active doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive at all. Simply go for a walk or take a run, lift weights or follow workout videos on YouTube and exercise in your home. If you’re looking for personal yoga trainers or home consultations of physiotherapists, Assurance by NanoHealth can help you with it.

2. Eat immune-boosting foods

One of the keys to a healthy immune system is to consume a well-balanced diet that consists of lean meat, vegetables, healthy fats, and fresh fruits. Eating healthy foods leads to a healthy microbiome which eventually leads to a healthy immune system to fight off infections. Consume healthy and whole foods and try to include a ‘rainbow of colors’ when it comes to fruits and vegetables as that is a good way to ensure you’re getting your dose of nutrients right. 

Certain foods may boost your immune system even more; for example, it is well known that vitamin C can lead to improved immunity so include more oranges, lemons, kiwi, and broccoli in your diet. 

To know more about detailed foods items to eat for a healthy immunity, stay tuned for our next blog where we will share the same.

3. Get enough sleep

Sleep helps the body and the immune system go into a ‘restore and recharge’ mode. Not getting enough sleep increases the production of stress hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline which puts stress on the immune system and also keeps you awake.

It is recommended to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep to help strengthen your immune system so it can fight off any infections. Some good sleeping practices include setting a consistent bedtime and a wake time and trying to stick to it every day, avoiding alcohol right before bed, and keeping screens out of the room to help sleep better and peacefully.

4. Reduce stress

Stress impacts sleep and the stress hormone cortisol reduces the activity of the immune system. Being constantly stressed makes you overthink because of which you are unable to sleep well, thus affecting your sleep negatively. The same goes for your eating habits as when you’re stressed, you tend to make unhealthy food choices thus having a domino effect on your overall health as well.

Find out ways to reduce stress, especially at a time when what’s happening is outside of our control. You can also meditate to offer the body a chance to refresh and rejuvenate leading to less stress and anxiety resulting in better sleep and improved immunity.

5. Stop smoking

If you’re a smoker and you want a reason to quit, let COVID-19 be your reason. As COVID-19 is a novel respiratory disease, it damages the lining of the air sacs in the lungs and severe cases, affects breathing, and patients may need ventilator support.

Quitting smoking not only will save you from the COVID virus, but also saves your life down the road and is the number one thing you can do to improve your immune system today.

6. Stay connected to your loved ones to boost immunity

As senior adults, you may find it difficult to spend time with your friends and family and may choose to stay at home to avoid possible exposure to the coronavirus. But this isolation can increase your chances of feeling lonely or depressed which could negatively impact your immune function.

During such times, it is crucial to find ways to stay connected with others; so pick up the phone and call your friend, participate in a zoom call, or text a relative. Constantly checking on the COVID-19 news can cause you more anxiety and fear. It is vital to stay informed so you can follow safety precautions and show your support to slow the spread of coronavirus, but there is also a lot of misinformation that goes around. Therefore it is important to be cautious and limit the constant monitoring of news and social media feeds as it quickly turns counterproductive and compulsive.

7. Get yourself vaccinated against COVID-19

It’s time to take a booster dose if it’s been more than 9 months since your last dose. The immunity gained from previous doses gradually reduces with time, so make sure to schedule your vaccine today.

Vaccines have been quite beneficial to many people due to its ability to reduce deaths considerably amongst those who have been vaccinated versus those who are unvaccinated.

As per latest statistics recorded on 5th Jan by My Gov, around 2,20,12,33,762 total vaccination doses for COVID virus have been taken in India. 

Schedule your booster dose at Assurance by calling us at +91 91004 44004. If you or your loved ones have any COVID symptoms, you can also consult our Assurance by NanoHealth doctors on video and take a COVID-19 screening test so that treatment can begin quickly if needed.

Give your loved ones THE GIFT OF GOOD HEALTH!

It’s important to have a healthy immune system during COVID-19, therefore at Assurance by NanoHealth we have an ideal health package, ‘The Gift of Good Health’ that helps you take care of yourself and your loved ones.

This package includes:

• More than 25 vital blood parameters are made available at your doorstep like Liver Function Tests, KFT (Kidney Function Test), Complete Urine Examination/CUE, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Lipid Profile and so on.

• 1 free doc and diet consultation.

• 360 Digital health history.

Avail of this health package by reaching out to us at +91 91004 44004 or visit our website, www.nhassurance.com today.

Assurance by NanoHealth is a one-of-a-kind digital healthcare company that focuses on preventing avoidable hospitalization, has a nationwide presence, and hosts a pool of specialized doctors, hospitals, and laboratories that enables prompt healthcare at scale.

We are your one-stop destination for all your healthcare needs at your fingertips!