The pandemic has revealed more good news regarding the benefits of exercise after vaccinations. In a study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (2022; doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.005), Iowa State University researchers found that 90 minutes of mild- to moderate-intensity exercise performed immediately after COVID-19 or influenza vaccinations increases the bodyโs antibody responseโwithout increasing shot-related side effects.
โOur preliminary results are the first to demonstrate a specific amount of [exercise] time can enhance the bodyโs antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine and two vaccines for influenza,โ said lead study author Marion Kohut, PhD, kinesiology professor at Iowa State University. โ. . . a lot more research is needed to answer the why and how. There are so many changes that take place when we exerciseโmetabolic, biochemical, neuroendocrine, circulatory. So, thereโs probably a combination of factors that contributes to the antibody response.โ
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
