Exercise & Aromatherapy for Immunity

 It is well known that the immune system including natural killer (NK) cells plays an important role in defence against bacteria, viruses, and tumours. It is also well known that stress inhibits immune function. Empirically, forest bathing/shinrin-yoku may reduce stress. Thus, I speculate that forest bathing/shinrin-yoku may have a beneficial effect on immune function by reducing stress.” - Dr. Qing Li

The wisdom is old: get outside when you can; when you’re stressed, aromatherapy can help. Now, scientists in Tokyo are building a case that smelling nature — the bracing scent of forest pine or cypress, for instance — lowers our blood pressure dramatically and increases anti-cancer molecules in our bloodstreams.

Enjoy the Outdoors

Preliminary research suggests that spending time outdoors, particularly in forest settings, may stimulate the production of anti-cancer proteins and offer a general boost to the immune system, although researchers don’t have a clear explanation as to the mechanisms behind these actions. In one study conducted by Japanese immunologist Qing Li, hiking twice a day for three days increased participants’ white blood cells by 40 percent, and they remained elevated by 15 percent a month later. These results weren’t found after urban walking, suggesting something uniquely beneficial about spending time in a natural setting. In our next issue, we’ll cover the health benefits of spending time outdoors in the winter in greater depth.

The best way to use exercise to maximize immune response is to engage in daily moderate exercise, research suggests. Moderate exercise enhances the activity of our NK cells, which recognize cells infected with a virus and try to eliminate them. However, highly intense exercise — such as marathon running — may actually depress the immune system, making us two to six times more likely to get sick immediately after the long workout. This is because prolonged exercise can suppress TH1 — our first-line defenses against illness. Experts recommend regular, moderate exercise to boost immunity, including 30-minute walks, biking a few times a week, exercising at the gym every other day or playing sports. Yoga may also benefit immunity. Although some of this effect is attributable to its influence on stress response, some of it may also be physical. Yoga stimulates the digestive, circulatory, nervous and endocrine systems, all of which may make our bodies able to more quickly respond to threats.

Aromatherapy & Forest Bathing

Forest bathing has been shown to be a powerful antidote against the physical, mental and emotional problems of today. It helps to:

1.      lower blood pressure

2.     reduce stress and anxiety

3.     increase energy

4.    improve sleep

5.     elevate mood

6.    lower cortisol levels

7.     boost your immune system

8.    accelerate recovery from illnesses

9.    improve ability to focus (even in children with ADHD)

Most essential oil blends are too intense to mimic forest bathing, and in addition your body requires energy from the plants, which comes from flower essences.

If you want to use aromatherapy to simulate a garden or forest experience, the best way is to combine 8 or more essential oils into a very mild mist, and add a minimum of 100 different flower essences. This gives the body similar exposure as a walk-in nature does.

Note that in order for a mist to mimic forest bathing, the mist needs to be mild enough that you can consistently mist your face, head, neck and body several times in a row without the aroma being overwhelming. Similar to walking in nature, this method very gently lifts the body (instead of being overwhelming or intense).  Repeating this process with a mist several times over a 15-minute window tends to offer greater benefits, again the way spending 15 minutes in nature assists the body's repair mechanisms.

Be aware that the benefits, such as lowered blood pressure and anxiety levels, is due to smelling and absorbing the wide ranging phytoncides produced by plants, versus consuming them.

In short, the incredible benefits from forest bathing are in large part due to inhaling terpenes, which are found in essential oils.