Exercise May Lower Risk of Colds
Exercise each day can keep a cold away
So say researchers at the University of South Carolina. In studying 547 healthy men and women with an average age of 48, they found that those who were regularly active were 23 percent less likely to get a cold than those who exercised less. And of those who did get colds, the symptoms tended to go away faster among those who exercised more.
The researchers say a trip to the gym isn't required. They cite recommended minimums set by the U.S. Surgeon General, which include activities like 30 minutes of brisk walking or lawn mowing per day, reports the Associated Press.
Health experts theorize that exercise spikes the immune system for a few hours each day, which is why daily exercise seems to be necessary to ward off colds, the AP reports.
The study's findings are published in the August issue of the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.