Boost Your Innate Immune System

Written by Mike Smartt, co-owner of Bay Functional Fitness, musician, and personal trainer

Particularly since there is no conventional medical action you can take against COVID-19, keeping yourself healthy and resilient is the best course of action you can take. 

One of the most convenient and effective methods of boosting your innate immune system is hormetic temperature stress (HTS). Put simply, that means challenging your body’s comfort level through the cold and/or heat in a way that stimulates positive adaptation. Think sauna, hot tub or hot bath; cold showers, river swimming, and cryo-therapy. All are manageable amounts of temperature stress (HTS). 

Why would you want to do this? HTS stimulates specific aspects of your immune system (amount other positive reactions) that are responsible for much of how we defend ourselves against viruses. Of course, we don’t have research specifically on COVID-19, but heat/cold therapy has been used with significant effects against other viruses in the past. Basically, we are going to increase your own body’s ability to defend itself!

How can you use heat and cold? Here’s a couple of easy methods you can do right in your own home:

1. Take a cold/hot contrast shower; after you warm up in the shower for a couple of minutes, alternate 20sec cold with 10sec hot for 5 and up to 10min. This is just a guideline - how cold, how hot and how long it depends on you. Remember, “manageable” stress; just challenge your body a bit and it will respond. You do not want to make yourself so uncomfortable that you’ll never do it again. 

2. Take a hot bath. There are benefits to cold and contrasting the heat/cold, but simply raising your core temperate (mimicking the body's fever response) will stimulate your innate immune system. This is doubly useful closer to bedtime as it can improve sleep; be sure you give your body a chance to fully cool before you go to bed.

Two simple steps to take advantage of your extra time at home in a way that will help to protect you in the weeks to come. 

Stay healthy!