With cold and flu season coming up, we often start to take measures to prevent getting sick. We wash our hands frequently, take vitamin C and try to avoid sick people. While these are all good measures to take, you can also add working out to the list. This week, yet another research study was released that confirms that exercise is one of the best ways to prevent the common cold and minimize symptoms if you do get sick.
The new research found that exercise gets your immune cells moving at an accelerated rate for about 3 hours after a workout which helps protect against colds. Since this effect is only temporary, it is recommended to exercise more frequently to keep up this boost in the immune system. In fact, the researchers found that people who exercise for 30 minutes 5 times per week not only got less colds but the length of the colds were about 45% shorter compared to those who exercise one time per week or not at all. They also found that the fittest individuals had symptoms that were ~40% less severe than those who were less fit.
So, stay active to stay healthy this holiday season.
Check out “Regular Workouts Ward Off the Common Cold” released yesterday by msnbc.com for the full story.