By Kelley Herring

With cold and flu season here, your immune system needs extra TLC. Along with exercise and a low-glycemic, nutrient-rich diet, there’s something else you can do. Stimulate your thymus.

The thymus is a gland located just behind the sternum. And while it’s tiny (weighing no more than 30 grams and shrinking down to only 5 grams by the time you reach the age of 75), this immune organ has a big job: It cranks out T-cells. (The “T” stands for thymus.)

You can wake up your thymus with a simple and effective exercise that has been practiced for millennia. Here it is:

Make a loose fist (with either hand). Using the second row of knuckles, rhythmically tap on your breastbone with a heart-like beat – tap, tap, pause, tap, tap, pause. The tapping should be heavy enough to make a drumming sound, and you should feel a vibration (which is what stimulates the thymus).

Practice this immune-boosting exercise anytime – every day, if possible. (It is particularly beneficial when you feel like you’re getting sick.) Because the thymus is most active for 90 minutes after you fall asleep, doing this exercise just before bedtime is ideal. Aim for a minimum of 20 sets of 3 for a maximum of 5 minutes.

[Ed. Note: Improving your health doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. You can find more easy-to-follow health techniques - plus get recipes for plenty of wholesome, healthful meals and updates on the latest breakthroughs in health and fitness - in ETR's natural health newsletter. Sign up for free right here.

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