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Strength training is a great way to build muscles,
increase bone density, and work the heart,
but did you know that it can also help the immune system?
We learn why in today's "Motivation To Move."
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Lucky for us, Gina Caifano is here
to explain the correlation.
Now, Gina is a fitness coach and she's a nurse.
So, Gina, you really have the science behind the association
between strength training and boosting your immunity.
How does it work?
- Did you know that
80% of your immune system is in your gut?
Essentially, when we strength train,
we produce healthy hormone levels, like estrogen,
progesterone, and if you're a woman, estradiol.
Healthy hormone levels allows your gut bacteria
to be very supported.
So, when you strength train, you get a better immune system.
- So, Gina, tell us, how often do we need to strength train
to get an immunity boost?
- Technically, one session will help
build your immune system a little bit,
but with most things in life,
a healthy habit needs to be built on over time.
So, consistently strength training over time
is going to really see a better effect overall,
but I would first start with one session a week
and try to see if you could build up to
at least three to five times a week,
depending on your fitness level.
- Does the association between strength training
and boosting your immunity work for anyone?
- It definitely helps everyone from any age,
and it's specifically when you get older,
our hormone levels decrease, unfortunately,
and that's where we see disease and illness start to happen.
So if we can maintain those levels
and we can build a healthy parasympathetic nervous system
to allow our bodies to relax and digest,
ultimately, yeah, immune system, strength training,
good for everybody.
- So, let's get more specific.
You say we can boost our immunity with four moves.
Can you show us?
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- All right, the first movement we have
is a pulling movement.
As you can see, Kelly is perfectly demonstrating
a single arm pull.
She's slowly lowering her arm down
as she squeezes up and engages her lat.
This is super important for all the people
that work on computers, 'cause all day long,
they're rounded,
and they're not using those upper back muscles
that keeps us nice and straight,
and that posture nice and strong.
- Okay, ready for movement number two.
- Movement number two is hinge.
Here, we have a single leg deadlift.
As Kelly holds the kettlebell in her opposite hand,
she keeps her chest nice and upright
as she hinges from her right hamstring,
feeling the stretch in her hamstring.
Thrusting forward,
squeezing that right glute nice and strong.
With this single leg, it provides nice instability.
It allows you to use your core
and stabilize your right ankle.
- And what's movement number three?
- Movement number three is our squat movement.
This way, we're going to hold a single arm kettle ball.
It's going to keep Kelly nice and upright
as she brings it down, focusing on mobility in her hips.
- Okay, and our final movement, number four, is what?
- Movement number four is our push.
The pushing movement here is going to be
one arm sending all the way straight up.
Overhead pushes are really important
because we have to reach things overhead.
You have to put things over on the shelf overhead.
- Does a comprehensive strength training workout
have to tie in all four of those to actually boost immunity?
- Yes.
You know, those four movement patterns
are what are going to balance your body
so that you don't get any injuries.
In order to make sure that we live as long as possible
in the healthiest form, we want to make sure
we keep the immune system nice and strong.
Thank you for sharing those moves.
- Thank you so much for having me, Jane.
- Okay, now it's your turn.
How are you making strength training part of your routine?
We want to see your workout photos.
Just tag us on Instagram at LivingHealthyTV.