Jim Silva: Boost immunity to keep fitness routine going

I hate being sick. Who doesn’t, right?

Last week I came down with a nasty stomach virus that caused me to miss some time at work and keep me off the road and out of the gym for seven days.

In my 30s, when I was in poor shape and had young kids, I got sick a lot. I always was picking up colds and viruses.

That changed when I began my fitness journey almost six years ago. It quickly became clear to me that being in better shape and improving my diet boosted my immune system. I don’t get sick nearly as often, and when I do it doesn’t seem to hit me as hard.

I’ve read a lot that running, especially hard training for marathons, can weaken your immune system. Studies show that because you work your body so hard, you become more susceptible to illness.

One recent study said that if you run more than 20 miles a week, you lower your immune system’s ability to fend off sickness.

If you’re looking to improve your immune system, there are some simple steps that can make a big difference.

First, the obvious: Don’t smoke, get adequate amounts of sleep, exercise regularly and wash your hands frequently.

Beyond that, what can you do?

I run more than 20 miles a week, and when I’m training for a race, I will run up to 50 miles a week. It’s important that I try to boost my immune system as much as possible.

Here’s some steps that I take:

▪ Eat a balanced diet, bolstered by some immunity-boosting foods. My go-to snack is Greek yogurt with almonds or walnuts. According to a Prevention.com story, yogurt is the No. 1 immunity-boosting food. Other great foods that boost your immunity: citrus fruits, spinach, garlic and sweet potatoes.

▪ Drink tea. I love a good cup of coffee, but I also try to drink a cup of tea once a day. Green and black teas are packed with antioxidants, which bolster the immune system.

▪ Rest when I’m tired. My tendency is to push through when my body feels drained, especially during marathon or half-marathon training. But this probably does more harm than good. If you’re getting plenty of sleep and eating well but your body still feels tired then you may be overtraining. You might want to give yourself a day or two off from working out.

▪ Reduce stress. Stress may not directly affect your immune system, but it leads to habits that can, such as drinking alcohol in excess, overeating or lack of sleep. Keeping your stress levels in control – I’ve been working on trying to do some mini meditations throughout the day – will help your immune system fight off illness.

Of course, sometimes, as I found out recently, there’s nothing you can do to fend off illness.

But you might as well give your body a fighting chance by keeping your immune system going strong.

Success at Modesto Memorial Classic

The Modesto Memorial Classic 5K and 1-mile events were held recently. According to the event’s Facebook page, there was a good turnout.

Marina and Dawson Vorderbruegge, both former runners at California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock, won the 5K races. Dawson won with a time of 15:00. Marina set a new course record for women with a time of 17:16.

In the 1-mile race, the men’s overall winner was Jason Noriega with a time of 5:00. The women’s winner was Shannon Paulson with a time of 6:20.

For complete results, you can go to the Shadowchase Running Club’s website.

This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Jim Silva: Boost immunity to keep fitness routine going."