Exercise Lowers Risk of Colds

Apart from keeping one in good shape moderate exercise may also help to protect against colds. Research published in the American Journal of Medicine shows that regular moderate exercise reduces the risk of colds in postmenopausal women. Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. Moderate exercise includes walking, jogging and swimming which are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time. Strenuous exercise has been shown in the past to decrease the immune response. The study enrolled more than 100 overweight or obese, sedentary, non-smoking, postmenopausal women. Approximately half were randomly assigned to moderate - intensity exercise like brisk walking for 45 minutes (five times a week) while others did a once-weekly 45 minute stretching session. Over 12 months, the risk of colds decreased modestly in exercisers and increased modestly in stretchers. During the last three months of the study, the risk of getting a cold tripled in stretchers when compared to those in the exercise group. Nearly half of stretchers reported getting a cold once, as compared to only one third in the exercise group. The authors postulate that modest exercise like walking may temporarily increase the number of white blood cells. These cells are necessary in the immune response. In addition, exercise may increase the production of antibodies in saliva- thereby increasing resistance against colds and other infections. Further studies are recommended to confirm the benefits of moderate exercise in reducing the incidence of colds.