Does Exercise Fight Colds?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
There may be all the more reason to stay focused on that weight-loss New Year’s resolution. While it has been widely reported that regular exercise can assist with curbing diseases including cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes, studies have shown that exercise can also ward off cough and colds.
Myriad Incentives to Move
“The benefits of exercise on the immune system are widely accepted, but in relation to the common cold, exercise may be helpful in a different way beyond increasing the immune system's fighting power,” explains Joseph Ciccolo, PhD, an exercise psychologist, researcher and physiologist with The Miriam Hospital’s Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine. “Specifically, regular exercise can help to increase an individual's quality of sleep and it can significantly reduce stress—two factors that are consistently tied to the common cold.”
Exercise can also improve one's state of mind, helping those suffering from a cold maintain their routine while boosting adrenaline. Dr. Ciccolo does warn cold sufferers who exercise in a gym, in lieu of jogging, walking or outdoor activity, to take precaution. “Exercisers do need to be cautious, however, as the common cold can often be passed off in a gym environment, where washing hands or using an alcohol gel is an absolute must.”
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