Istanbul Gelisim University - Regular exercise increases resistance

Regular exercise increases resistance

Stating that mild and moderate exercise affects the immune system positively, Asst. Prof. Dr. Engin Işık Abanoz said, “Regular moderate exercise increases the resistance against upper respiratory diseases, and the probability of upper respiratory tract infections decreases by 20-30% in people who exercise moderately.”

“DURATION AND INTENSENESS OF THE TRAINING IS IMPORTANT”

Dr. Engin Işık Abanoz, Head of Recreation Department from Istanbul Gelisim University, stating that social activities in quarantine were restricted during the coronavirus process, said: “Restriction of our social activities brought health problems such as weight loss, muscle strength loss, blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular risk as well as a decrease in the immune system due to immobility. Thanks to digital communication, people quickly realized the risk and turned to home exercises. The benefits of exercise in keeping the immune system strong are obvious, but one thing to consider here is the duration and severity of the exercise.”

“INFECTION RISK INCREASES”

Dr. Engin Işık Abanoz, Head of Recreation Department at Istanbul Gelisim University, who said that long-term high-intensity exercises will lead to suppression of the immune system, added: “Following a high-intensity prolonged exercise, the lymphocyte concentration decreases and the ability of cells to proliferate, moderate cytotoxic activity, and immunoglobulin production is reduced, resulting in an immune system suppression. The immune system weakens for several hours following such exercises, and the risk of respiratory infections increases during this period.”

“TRAIN AT MEDIUM INTENSITY”

Expressing that elderly people can have at least 150 - 300 minutes of aerobic exercise and 2 resistance training sessions per week, Abanoz said: “Under quarantine, the activities carried out to compensate for the decrease in normal daily physical activity levels can be distributed between 5 and 7 days and can be increased to 200 - 400 minutes per week. In addition, it is beneficial to perform these activities in quarantine times at medium intensity. In these home exercises, even if they do not have the special materials necessary for the exercise, aerobic exercises such as holding a chair at home, squatting, sitting on the chair, using a height as a step up and down, and balance exercises such as walking on the toes or heels. If there is no prohibition of going out, it can be a suitable alternative to moderate-intensive aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking) in outdoor environments, maintaining a safe distance with people around.”