Thank goodness that researchers have figured out something that most regular exercisers have long understood to be true: regular workouts can keep colds at bay. MSNBC reports that researchers at the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, tracked the respiratory health of 1,000 people, ages 18 to 85, for 12 weeks during autumn and winter, and asked them questions about how often they exercised and how fit they felt. The researchers found the length of time cold symptoms lasted was shorter by 43 percent to 46 percent in people who worked out five or more times a week, compared with people who worked out once a week or never. They also found that people who said they felt fittest had cold symptoms that were 41 percent less severe than those of people who felt the least fit. MSNBC also reports that an earlier study conducted in 2002 found moderate physical activity reduced the risk for an upper respiratory tract infection by 23 percent, compared with low levels of physical activity.
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Makes sense because hard physical exercise stimulates the lymph system and opens the airways. You wonder if there were not also dietary contributors not picked up in the study because anyone exercising five times a week will be pretty fit, and most fit people consume ample antioxidants and other immune boosters.
Interesting study. I really couldn’t find a proper medicine to take care of cold.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrSTQDVc0tc But after this study i’d like to try various workouts everyday and check if it’s really working..