Resistance plays an important role in helping your body fight off harmful bacteria and viruses, so when your immune system isn’t at its strongest, you’re far more likely to catch an illness than someone who has built up resistance through healthy eating and exercise. Here are five ways to improve your resistance so you can stay healthy throughout the year!
1. Take in a lot of vegetables
It’s very easy to become complacent and not eat enough vegetables. I’ve written before about the importance of eating a lot of vegetables and how great they are for you, so you should simply listen to me on this one! There are many different ways to get more veggies into your diet. For example, try baby carrots cooked in the microwave (they’re delicious!), adding some broccoli or green beans to your casseroles or soups, or adding some spinach or kale to your smoothies (or even just drinking them straight as a shake).
2. Try to avoid processed food
If you need some extra crunch when you’re snacking on the go, try buying some fresh fruit such as apples and celery. If that’s not something that appeals to you, try something like a granola bar or yogurt with berries. These types of food are much more natural and are better for your immune system than processed foods.
3. Try not to get too stressed out
If your body is stressed, it’s less able to fight off infections and illness. Meditation, yoga and practicing mindfulness can help you to relieve stress and make sure that you’re feeling positive about life so that it will be easier for your body to eliminate harmful bacteria from your system.
4. Get some exercise!
This is another no-brainer, but exercise helps by strengthening your immune system and reducing stress – both of which are important for fighting off illness. When you’re stressed and in pain, it’s hard to think about anything other than getting better, so make sure that you’re doing something that will help you to get better such as running or swimming! If you can’t run because of an injury or a medical condition, try swimming – it’s just as good for your body and will help you to improve your fitness while working out the parts that aren’t injured/affected.
5. Get lots of sleep
This is also another obvious one – it’s hard to fight off illness when you’re feeling run down, so always make sure that you are getting the sleep that you need. Most adults require 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, so make sure that you are getting a good amount. If for whatever reason you don’t get enough sleep or feel groggy first thing in the morning even though you’ve had enough rest, try drinking some coffee or green tea as this should perk your mind and body up.
These are just a few of the many things you can do to improve your resistance.
