Autumn provides ample time to build a foundation for good fitness and strengthen the body's defenses before the peak of illness. September and October mark a return to a more stable routine after vacations and holidays, making it easier to incorporate exercise into your regular schedule. The weather allows for a combination of indoor and outdoor workouts, and the desire to welcome the cold season without illness becomes a powerful incentive to get started.
Regular physical activity helps reduce stress, stabilize hormonal levels, promote good sleep, and improve blood and lymph flow, which accelerates the delivery of lymphocytes, neutrophils, and natural killer cells to potential sites of infection. This reduces chronic inflammation and promotes rapid recovery.
During exercise, the heart pumps more blood, tissues receive additional oxygen and nutrients, and muscle contractions and deep breathing stimulate the lymphatic system. A short-term increase in body temperature creates unfavorable conditions for the proliferation of viruses and bacteria.
"Fall is a good time to get started, but it's important to maintain year-round activity after a strong start. A body that regularly experiences moderate exercise has a more stable and stronger immune response throughout the year. While initial improvements can take a month or two, deeper physiological adaptations require three to six months or more, so it's important not to stop after the dangerous cold and flu season has passed," explains Maxim Kurbatov.
To maintain the body's defenses, not only the quantity but also the quality of the exercise is important. A combination of aerobic exercise, strength training, functional exercises, and flexibility training is considered optimal.
Moderate-intensity cardio—brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, vigorous dancing, or using an elliptical—strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves blood circulation, and increases the number and activity of NK cells and lymphocytes, enhancing their ability to find and destroy pathogens.
Strength training—from dumbbell and weight training to squats, push-ups, or bodyweight pull-ups—helps build muscle, which improves metabolism and hormonal balance. It also helps reduce chronic inflammation, which weakens the immune system. Improved insulin sensitivity, achieved through strength training, also indirectly supports immune function.
Functional training, including movements with kettlebells, medicine balls, TRX straps, or balance and plyometric exercises, mimics everyday movements, developing coordination and strength across multiple muscle groups, improving overall fitness, and reducing the risk of injury.
Flexibility training and relaxation techniques—yoga, Pilates, stretching, breathing exercises—directly impact immunity by lowering cortisol levels and improving sleep quality. Even a couple of sessions a week helps reduce stress, activate lymphatic drainage, and promote full recovery.
Taken together, this combination—2-3 cardio workouts, 2-3 strength sessions, and 1-2 flexibility workouts—creates a stable foundation for robust health year-round. Its effectiveness is significantly enhanced by adhering to other healthy lifestyle principles: adequate sleep (7-9 hours), a balanced diet with sufficient protein, vitamins, and minerals, maintaining hydration, and regular outdoor exercise.
"It's important to remember that excessive exercise, especially at the beginning, can have the opposite effect. Long-term and overly intense workouts create a so-called window of vulnerability—a period of up to 72 hours when the immune system weakens. During this time, the body requires recovery, sleep, quality nutrition, and rest. It's much more beneficial to move toward your goal gradually than to try to catch up in a couple of weeks," concludes Maxim Kurbatov.