Health

Increasing resistance, how do you do that?

Read our tips to increase your resistance in a natural way and with scientifically proven supplements!

increase your resistance, is that possible?

Yes, you can increase your resistance in several ways. In this article we give you useful advice and practical tips to increase and strengthen your resistance, so that your body is better able to fight and prevent diseases in a natural way. The immune system is the body's natural defense mechanism against disease-causing microorganisms, but sometimes it can fail and a germ gets in, making you sick. Fortunately, it is possible to intervene and you can increase your resistance, for example by improving your diet and taking certain vitamins or supplements that can strengthen your immune system. In addition, changes in your lifestyle, such as regular exercise and reducing stress, can also help to increase your resistance. In this article you will find answers to increase your resistance.

Increase resistance in a natural way

It is very important to be aware of the fact that a healthy lifestyle is the first and most fundamental step you can take to strengthen your immune system and protect your body against diseases or illness. helps prevent the onset of colds. After all, when you make healthy choices in your daily life, you improve and strengthen your body's ability to fight disease. Following general guidelines for good health is therefore essential if you want to maintain or strengthen your resistance in a natural way.

Increase resistance with 13 practical tips

Avoid smoking
Eat a nutritious diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats. Preferably choose organic products to avoid exposure to pesticides.
for regular exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming or cycling to burn excess fat. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week
Maintain a healthy weight by aiming for a BMI below 25. Being overweight can lead to a weakened immune system.
Drink alcohol in moderation if you drink. For women, a maximum of one drink per day applies, for men a maximum of two drinks per day.
Get enough sleep, ideally 7-9 hours per night. A good night's sleep is important for a strong immune system. So get a good night's sleep and... wakes up rested
Take measures to prevent infections, such as washing your hands regularly, avoiding contact with sick people, and preparing meat properly.
Keep stress to a minimum. Chronic stress can lead to a weakened immune system. Try do stress-reducing activities, such as meditation, yoga or walking in nature.
Include probiotics in your diet, such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and fermented vegetables. These promote a healthy intestinal flora and strengthen your immune system.
Provide enough vitamin D by being outside regularly and/or taking supplements. Vitamin D plays an important role in supporting the immune system.
Eat enough fruit with vitamin C
Increase your intake of garlic and ginger, both of which have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and boost the immune system.
Avoid sugary foods and refined carbohydrates, which can cause inflammation in the body and weaken the immune system.

By implementing these healthy habits, you can naturally increase your resistance and better protect your body against pathogens.

Increase resistance in the elderly

Research has shown that nutrition plays an important role in maintaining and improving resistance in the elderly. One form of malnutrition that is unfortunately common, even in affluent countries, is micronutrient malnutrition. This form of malnutrition occurs when someone does not get enough essential vitamins and minerals through the diet. This can occur in the elderly because they tend to eat less and often have less variation in their diet. It is therefore important that the elderly are aware of the importance of a balanced diet that contains sufficient micronutrients to maintain their resistance and promote their overall health.

Resistance decreases as we age

As we age, our resistance to disease decreases and this can lead to an increase in infections and an increased risk of cancer. This is especially a problem in developed countries where life expectancy is increasing. Although some elderly people age healthily, many studies show that older people are more likely to contract infectious diseases and also more likely to die from them than younger people.

Respiratory infections, such as the flu, COVID-19 and pneumonia, are leading causes of death among people over 65 worldwide. This is because the elderly have a reduced resistance and are therefore more vulnerable to infections. Scientists have discovered that the number of T cells in the body decreases with age. This may be because the thymus, an organ that produces T cells to fight infection, shrinks with age. This can lead to a reduced response to infections.

There are also scientists who wonder whether the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that form the basis of the cells of the immune system as people age. This can lead to a reduction in the number of white blood cells and thus a reduced defense against infections. For these reasons, it is therefore important that the elderly take extra precautions to maintain their resistance.

Increase resistance through exercise

It is a known fact that regular exercise is an essential pillar of a healthy lifestyle. It offers a wide range of benefits, such as improving cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, helping to control body weight and protecting against a variety of diseases. But what many people wonder is whether exercise can also help to strengthen the resistance and keep it healthy.

The immune system is made up of two layers of immune protection, namely the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. We will explain the difference between these 2 immune systems later in this article. Both are crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system. Recent research has shown that even one session of moderate exercise can positively impact both the innate and adaptive immune systems. During moderate aerobic exercise, millions of immune cells are immediately mobilized and released into the bloodstream. These cells are first released by the spleen and bone marrow and then travel to the lungs, where they are used to boost immune defenses. Thus, the mobilized cells, released during exercise, are ready to fight as they move between the circulatory system and the tissues.

When you exercise, the number of immune cells in your body can increase. This depends on how heavy and how long you train and can increase the number of immune cells by as much as 50% to 400%. Most of these extra cells are neutrophils and macrophages. Unfortunately, these extra immune cells disappear from your body within three hours after exercise. To make your immune system stronger in the long term and protect against diseases, it is important to to continue exercising regularly at a moderate level. This makes your immune system better able to fight pathogens and reduces the risk of infections.

This means that exercise can not only contribute to general good health, but can also help build and strengthen a healthy immune system. Regular exercise is only one of many factors that influence overall health and immunity, but it can certainly be a useful and effective way to strengthen and keep your immune system healthy.

What are Neutrophils and Macrophages?

Neutrophils and macrophages are both types of immune cells involved in the body's defense against pathogens. Neutrophils are white blood cells that play an important role in fighting bacterial infections. They can quickly move to places where bacteria reside and can kill these bacteria by eating and destroying them.

Macrophages are another type of white blood cell that also play an important role in defending against infection and disease. They are involved in detecting, eating and destroying pathogens and foreign substances in the body. In addition, they can also clean up damaged cells and contribute to the healing process. Macrophages also play a role in activating and regulating other immune cells in the body.

What should I do to strengthen my resistance through training?

Significant health benefits can be achieved with many types of aerobic activity (e.g., walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing). Research shows that you can increase your resistance with 20 to 40 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day. Below are several ways to control intensity during aerobic exercise to help you reach your exercise goals.

Take the “talk test”
The “talk test” is a simple way to measure the relative intensity of exercise. You can talk, but not sing, while doing a moderate-intensity activity. At high intensity, you can't say more than a few words without pausing to breathe.

can you lower your resistance if you exercise too much?

Yes, excessive exercise can weaken the immune system and thus lower resistance. This mainly happens when someone trains too much and too intensely without taking enough rest and recovery time between workouts. If the body doesn't have enough time to recover, it can lead to excessive production of the stress hormone cortisol, which can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of disease. Also, intensive exercise can temporarily reduce the number of immune cells, which can cause an increased risk of infections. It is therefore important to exercise regularly, but also to take enough rest and recovery time between workouts and listen to the body to avoid overtraining.

what is the difference between innate immune system and adaptive immune system?

The immune system is our natural defense mechanism against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. It consists of different types of cells, molecules and tissues that work together to protect us from infection.

The innate immune system is our body's first line of defense against pathogens. It consists of cells and molecules that are always present in our body and can respond quickly to an infection. The innate immune system does not act specifically on a particular pathogen, but is able to recognize and fight a wide variety of pathogens. The innate immune system works quickly and efficiently, but does not provide long-term protection against a specific pathogen.
The adaptive immune system is a more specialized system that develops after exposure to a specific pathogen. The adaptive immune system works more slowly than the innate immune system, but is able to recognize and fight a specific pathogen using antibodies and immune cells that specifically target that pathogen. The adaptive immune system also has a memory function, allowing it to respond more quickly and efficiently to an infection upon subsequent exposure to the same pathogen.

Water is essential for strong resistance

Increase your resistance by drinking water! Drinking water can help improve your body's general resistance. Staying hydrated helps your body naturally remove the bacteria and toxins that cause infections. With the help of water, oxygen and nutrients are distributed throughout the body and waste products are flushed out of the body. Thus, it helps to keep diseases at bay. Your resistance determines the health of your body and determines your ability to fight disease. Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, is seen as a preventative form of maintaining health. So water is still the best thing to drink. Each person is different, but aim to drink 2 liters of water per day. That can be difficult to do. Your body gets dehydrated after hours of sleep, so drink plenty of water right away when you wake up. If you struggle to drink enough water, set reminders throughout the day or drink a glass of water before each meal. Warm tea without caffeine can count as part of your daily water intake.

Low resistance symptoms

Signs and symptoms of low resistance is susceptibility to infections. Someone with a low immune system is more likely to get infections than most people, and these illnesses can be more serious or more difficult to treat. You may also be dealing with an infection that a person with a stronger immune system would not get. A doctor can do a blood test to determine if someone has a low immune system. The test will show if someone has enough antibodies.

Infections that people with low resistance often get include::

pneumonia
meningitis
bronchitis
skin infections

People with low resistance are also more likely to have:

autoimmune diseases
inflammation of the internal organs
blood disorders or abnormalities, such as anemia
digestive problems, such as loss of appetite, diarrhea and abdominal cramps
growth and developmental delay in babies and children

Low resistance due to stress

Modern medicine has become aware of the close relationship between mind and body and the possible weakening of your immune system. A wide variety of ailments, including stomach problems, cancer, hives and heart disease, have been linked to the effects of stress.

When you are under stress, the stress hormone cortisol is secreted. It reduces the fighting power of your immune system as it decreases the production of lymphocytes in your body. As a result, your resistance weakens.

Increase resistance advice

Increasing your resistance is the key to this longevity! If you want personal advice to increase your resistance, please contact us via the blue contact button on the right.

Published: 06/07/2022
Updated: 11/04/2024
By: Igor Payet