Will exercising improve my immune system?
There are basically two questions connecting exercise with the common cold: (1) Can exercise improve my ability tofight off colds? and (2) Should I exercise when I have a cold? Theseare two very different issues, but since the average person catchesbetween two and five colds each year, they are both very importantones. Let's look at them one at a time.
Can exercise improve my ability to fight off colds?
Exercise certainly is not a cure for the common cold. So many things contributeto the strength of your immune system-including age, cigarette smoking,nutrition, and genetics-that there is no magical solution. But recentstudies are finding that exercise may improve your chances againstthose pesky little viruses. In addition to anecdotal evidence-exerciseenthusiasts routinely report fewer illnesses than people living lessactive lifestyles-there is now evidence that every time you get someexercise your immune system gets a quick boosts that can last a fewhours beyond the end of your exercise session. And, as in all aspectsof health and well being, exercise certainly can't hurt.
Should I exercise when I have a cold?
We've all been there, asking ourselves if a quick workout will make us feelbetter or worse. A good guideline is that if the cold is above theneck-no rattling cough or congestion in the chest-and is notaccompanied by a fever, then moderate exercise is safe and a good idea.If the cold is below the neck or includes a fever, you're better offresting for a while until those symptoms disappear. The more severeyour symptoms, the more rest you need.
Exercise And The Immune System
If you've been working out for a while now, you are probably aware of manyof the benefits of regular exercise. But, did you know that exercisecan also affect your immune system?
Studies generally findthat moderate exercise can enhance the immune system and help us resistinfection. For example, researchers have found that a variety of immunecells are increased following moderate exercise. In addition, those whoexercise aerobically at a moderate pace (30-90 minutes per day) getsick less often, further bolstering the evidence for a positive impactof exercise on immune functioning.
On the other hand,studies generally find that individuals who undertake exhaustiveexercise, like running a marathon, are more likely to get the flu abouttwo weeks following the event. In one study of individuals who weretraining for the Los Angeles Marathon in 1989, researchers found thatrunners were almost 13% more likely to get the flu two weeks after themarathon. This is contrasted to only about 2% of those who trained forthe marathon, but didn't participate in it. Evidence such as this indicate that exhaustive exercise seems to open a window of opportunity when infection is more likely.
So the take home message can be stated this way: Train as if you were going to run a marathon, but never run it.