home
RSS
Daily exercise helps keep the sniffles away
November 1st, 2010
07:01 PM ET

Daily exercise helps keep the sniffles away

Regular exercise can improve your mood, help you lose weight, and add years to your life. Still need another reason to hit the gym? A new study suggests that working out regularly helps ward off colds and flu.

In the study, researchers followed a group of about 1,000 adults of all ages for 12 weeks during the winter and fall of 2008. During that time, people who logged at least 20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise—such as jogging, biking, or swimming—on five or more days per week were sick with cold or flu symptoms for just five days, on average, compared with about 8.5 days among people who exercised one day per week or less.

Health.com: 9 ways to stay sniffle-free

What's more, regular exercisers tended to have milder symptoms when they were ill. Compared with the people who barely exercised, those who worked out frequently rated their symptoms about 40percent less severe overall, according to the study, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. (Symptom severity was gauged with a standard questionnaire.)

Exercise is thought to boost the circulation of the virus-fighting white blood cells known as natural killer cells—the "Marine Corps and Army of the immune system," says the lead author of the study, David Nieman, a professor of health, leisure, and exercise science at Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina. "Exercise gets these cells out…to deal with the enemy."

The increased immune activity brought on by exercise only lasts for about three hours, but the cumulative effect seems to keep disciplined exercisers healthier than most. "As the days add up, it adds up to improved protection [from] the viruses that can make you sick," Nieman says.

Health.com: Cold or flu? How to know if you’re too sick to work out

Endorphins may also play a role, says Len Horovitz, M.D., a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. These feel-good neurotransmitters—the source of the so-called runner's high—have "positive effects on the immune system, so it's not surprising there's a spike in immune cells," says Horovitz, who was not involved in the study.

It's also possible that people who exercise frequently tend to lead healthy lifestyles in general, and are therefore less likely than couch potatoes to get sick.

Nieman and his colleagues measured a host of factors besides exercise that could potentially affect a person's susceptibility to cold or flu, including age, gender, diet, stress levels, marital status, smoking, and educational attainment. Of all of these, physical activity was most closely linked to the number of days a person spent sick, although some characteristics, such as being married and eating a lot of fruit, seemed to help protect against colds and flu as well.

Health.com: 30-day cold and flu prevention calendar

"You can't do much about your age, and you can't do much about your gender. Here's something you can really do," Nieman says. "Exercise is the most powerful weapon that an individual has in their hand to reduce illness days."

 Post by:
Filed under: Cold and flu • Exercise
Next entry »
« Previous entry
soundoff (99 Responses)
  1. Buy Instagram Followers

    I used to be more than happy to find this net-site.I wanted to thanks in your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoying each little little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.

    https://bonuslikes.com/product-tag/get-10000-twitter-likes-fast/

    February 1, 2021 at 10:52 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. malatya escort

    esenyurt escort bayanar bu sitede üstelik hepsi ücretsiz...

    http://www.cuba.tc/escort-kategori/malatya-escort-bayan

    February 4, 2021 at 17:17 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. Free Samples

    Heya are using WordPress for your site platform? I'm new to the blog world but I'm trying to get started and create my own. Do you require any html coding expertise to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated!

    https://www.cravefreebies.com

    February 5, 2021 at 11:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  4. mersin escort

    esenyurt escort bayanar bu sitede üstelik hepsi ücretsiz...

    http://www.elitescorthatun.com/ad-category/mersin-escort/

    February 5, 2021 at 22:58 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. Lisbeth Dowsett

    Earn 4000 a Month With Our Passive Income System – Best Autopilot income system 2021

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsPEDCG67PlnwKl0BpryidvgxKQMgCgwqj-Y_ry4chg9se8Q/viewform

    February 6, 2021 at 09:59 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. www.gu8.pw

    iskenderun escort bayanlarla tanışmak için bu siteyi ziyaret edebilirsiniz.

    http://www.gu8.pw

    February 6, 2021 at 22:48 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. www.iskenderunescort.xyz

    iskenderun escort bayanlarla tanışmak için bu siteyi ziyaret edebilirsiniz.

    http://www.iskenderunescort.xyz

    February 7, 2021 at 00:23 | Report abuse | Reply
  8. iskenderun escort

    iskenderun escort bayanlarla tanışmak için bu siteyi ziyaret edebilirsiniz.

    http://www.gu8.pw

    February 7, 2021 at 19:33 | Report abuse | Reply
  9. adana escort

    iskenderun escort bayanlarla tanışmak için bu siteyi ziyaret edebilirsiniz.

    http://www.cuba.tc/escort-kategori/adana-escort-bayan

    February 7, 2021 at 23:17 | Report abuse | Reply
  10. 1000000GSA Backlinks

    High DA PA 50+ Do follow Forum Backlinks: https://www.seoclerk.com/Link-Building/836800/High-DA-PA-50-Do-follow-Forum-Backlinks

    https://www.seoclerk.com/Link-Building/836800/High-DA-PA-50-Do-follow-Forum-Backlinks

    February 16, 2021 at 09:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  11. malatya escort

    malatya escort bayanlarla tanışmak için bu siteyi ziyaret edebilirsiniz.

    https://www.yukle.tc

    February 16, 2021 at 15:56 | Report abuse | Reply
  12. ClarkTauts

    tpxb6 2f642 n9ua

    February 28, 2021 at 15:14 | Report abuse | Reply
  13. Emmett Malla

    Some truly nice and useful info on this internet site, likewise I believe the style has excellent features.

    https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/

    March 4, 2021 at 09:43 | Report abuse | Reply
  14. Lynn Szumiesz

    https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/

    March 6, 2021 at 15:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  15. Walton Szweda

    Great articles. Thank you for the information learn spanish youtube free

    https://www.spanishtogo.app

    June 25, 2021 at 14:06 | Report abuse | Reply
1 2

Post a comment


  

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Next entry »
« Previous entry
Advertisement
About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.