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Why you might be getting sick more often — and how to rebuild immune resilience

Getting sick more often? Here’s why — and how to retrain your immune system with nature, movement, rhythm, and real exposure.

Updated over 3 months ago

Many people are noticing a change:
🌀 More colds.
🗓️ More often.
🧃 Harder to bounce back.

If you’re one of them, you’re not alone — and you’re not broken.
Your immune system may simply be out of rhythm and ready for recalibration.


🧠 What’s going on?

During the years of heightened COVID precautions, our exposure to everyday microbes went way down. We masked, sanitized, stayed inside, and limited travel. These precautions helped protect us — but they also meant our immune systems got less practice fighting routine viruses.

Now, as exposure returns, many of us are experiencing more:

  • Upper respiratory infections

  • Lingering coughs or colds

  • Inflammatory or allergic responses

  • Fatigue and slow recovery

Your immune system hasn’t failed. It just needs support.


🔁 Your immune system is adaptive — but it needs interaction

When it lacks stimulation, it can become:

  • Overreactive (allergies, inflammation)

  • Underprepared (more frequent or intense infections)

  • Uncoordinated (prolonged symptoms or misfired immune response)

This is especially true for:

  • Kids (whose immune systems are still training)

  • Adults working remotely or with limited outdoor exposure

  • Anyone who’s gone several years with minimal viral or bacterial contact


🛠️ How to rebuild immune resilience now:

✅ 1. Reconnect with nature

  • Touch real soil, bark, plants, and non-sterile surfaces

  • Spend time outdoors regularly — without over-sanitizing after

  • Let your skin, lungs, and gut re-engage with the microbial world

  • Allow kids to play, get dirty, and explore freely

✅ 2. Clean smart — not sterile

  • Wash with soap and water, not just sanitizer

  • Avoid “antibacterial” hand soaps and wipes

  • Choose gentle, non-antibacterial wet wipes when needed (e.g. Huggies Natural Care, WaterWipes, Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes)

✅ 3. Feed your immune system with real nutrients

  • Omega-3s (from fish, algae oil)

  • Zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C

  • Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi)

  • Diverse fibers (veggies, beans, oats) to nourish your gut microbiome

  • Polyphenol-rich plants: berries, teas, herbs, dark leafy greens

✅ 4. Reset your rhythm

  • Prioritize sleep (7–9 hours)

  • Get sunlight within 30–60 minutes of waking

  • Avoid eating too late

  • Limit caffeine and screens after dark

  • Align your day with your body clock — not just your calendar

✅ 5. Regulate your stress response

Chronic stress dampens immune function.
We help patients restore their nervous systems with:

  • Breathwork

  • Gentle movement

  • Co-regulation and connection

  • Somatic tools and trauma-informed care

✅ 6. Move your body — wisely and consistently

Cardiovascular exercise (e.g. walking, biking):

  • Boosts circulation of immune cells

  • Improves viral defense and antibody response

  • Lowers stress hormones that suppress immunity

Resistance training (e.g. weights, bands, bodyweight):

  • Releases myokines — molecules that help modulate immune response

  • Preserves muscle mass linked to immune recovery

  • Supports metabolic and hormonal balance

⚠️ Too much intense exercise without rest can suppress immunity. We help you find the right dose for your body and recovery needs.


💡 The bottom line:

You’re not more fragile — your system is just adjusting.
It’s ready to reconnect with the world — through food, movement, sunlight, microbes, and rhythm.

Immune resilience isn’t about supplements alone.
It’s about retraining your system to engage, respond, and recover.

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