Consider incorporating yoga into your routine—this is well the needed immune booster for you this season—empowered with scientific backing and practicality in application.
Yoga for Colds and Flu: This is How Yoga Improves Immunity.
Do you know psychologists say that individuals with chronic stress are more likely to catch the cold and flu when exposed to viruses?
Furthermore, stress-induced inflammation can aggravate sinus conditions, leading to sinus pressure, pain, and prolonged recovery. Then how can yoga be helpful for colds and flu?
Studies have shown that yoga can reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone associated with this known anxiety, and relax the body. Cortisol levels remain high as there is chronic stress; thus, the immune system becomes less active. The body’s immune response is less effective against pathogens, the cold virus and the flu virus being common ones.
Therefore, engage in yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises to reduce cortisol levels.
Stress tends to affect sleep quality, which in turn directly affects the behavior of the immune system. If one is deprived of sleep, this will also affect the production of the T cells that attack infections and the immune system’s ability to produce antibodies. Quality sleep thus falls between 7 and 9 hours to boost immunity.
Yoga postures that improve sleep include Child’s Pose (Balasana), Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani), Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose), Savasana (Corpse Pose), Viparita Dandasana (Reverse Staff Pose), and Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana), and Reclining Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana). The better the sleep cycle is, the better the immunity will be.
Stress narrows down its respiratory pathways, thereby limiting the expulsion of mucus and other debris from the body. It prolongs colds and aggravates sinus congestion. Proper hydration and yoga for colds and flu, specifically deep and mindful breathing, help clear mucus and support sinus health.
Pranayama approaches are specially designed to provide capacity benefits as immune boosters for yoga. Touching on techniques fresh and simple yet powerful:
Nadi Shodhana-therapies (alternate nostril breathing), or alternately close each nostril while breathing deeply through the other using your thumb and ring finger. It balances the nervous system and reduces stress.
Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath): a very active breathing technique that does rapid exhalations through the nose and passive inhalations through the mouth. It detoxifies the lungs and improves oxygenation.
Yoga poses improve your circulation, enhance blood flow, and facilitate lymphatic drainage. This helps with their movement all over the organism, making them efficient for the detection and fighting process in early infection.
The entire body, especially the blood, carries immune cells, including white blood cells, which serve to identify and neutralize all pathogens like viruses and bacteria. The asanas or yoga poses foster proper movement of the immune cells in the affected areas of the body against infections.
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) enhances blood circulation through the upper body, which is especially important for the areas usually affected during colds and flu, such as the head and chest.
Better circulation means better delivery of oxygen to tissues and organs. Such blood, rich in oxygen, is essential for cellular repair and proper functioning, especially when the body is under the attack of an infection.
Increased oxygen flow also results in better expulsion by the lungs of mucus and debris from the airways of an individual, thereby easing respiratory symptoms.
Breathing within Yoga: Practices such as Pranayama, including Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath) and Bhramari (Bee Breath), enhance lung capacity and improve the amount of air intake, which directly impacts respiratory health during the cold and flu seasons.
Stagnant circulation is responsible for the production of inflammatory responses that aggravate the severity of cold and flu symptoms such as sinus pressure and a sore throat. Stress increases inflammation due to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. A 2022 review in PubMed provides strong evidence that yoga benefits levels of circulating cortisol and classical inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Yoga poses fill inflamed areas with blood and, therefore, deliver anti-inflammatory agents to the given regions and comfort the discomfort.
Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani): The restorative position allows the blood from the legs to flow back to the heart to improve circulation and relieve inflammation. A calming effect on the nervous system is also associated with this yoga pose for enhancing immunity.
Circulation is essential for the lymphatic system because it contributes primarily to anathema and waste removal.
Yoga poses help elicit the movements of the lymph framework to help cleanse the system of dead cells and pathogens for speedy recovery. Yoga poses for colds and sinuses, including movements of the neck, stimulating lymphatic drainage, and clearing sinuses.
Yoga for colds and sinuses: Lion pose (simhasana): The lion pose stimulates lymphatic flow in the neck and face. Furthermore, it relieves sinus congestion by increasing circulation to the upper respiratory system. A person engages in this breathing exercise by roaring like a lion while letting air out, combined with the effort to empty the lungs and improve air ventilation through the nostrils.
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