We have all heard the warnings about washing our hands and sneezing into our sleeve. Those are always listed as ways to fight the common cold and stay healthy through the winter. Using disposable towels and cups in the bathroom is another good way to stop the spread of germs in the home. In general, living a healthy lifestyle will help protect you from getting a cold. That means no smoking, eating well and getting sufficient rest. However, a new report shows that the best way to avoid getting the sniffles is through exercising.

The Study is reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, November 1 edition. It found that not only do people who exercise regularly experience fewer colds, the colds that they do develop go away quicker and they experience milder symptoms than those who do not exercise. The researchers say there is definitely a link between active lifestyles and staying healthy but they are at a loss to explain why that is the case. Their research does not identify a reason why exercise makes a body healthier but it definitely proves that it does.

For the study, over 1000 people were watched for a twelve week period to determine how many times they complained of cold symptoms. At the same time, the people in the study were asked to track how much they exercised and how intense those workout sessions were. Of those who worked out five or more days each week, the number of colds was almost half of the total of those who exercised just one day a week or not at all. The duration of the colds was also shorter in the group of people who say they exercise five days a week or more. Their cold symptoms did not last as long as those who exercised infrequently and the study shows that the severity of their symptoms were not as bad either.

Researchers suspect that exercise helps fight off colds because the physical activity provides a boost to the body’s own immune system. Since exercise improves blood flow and circulation, exercise may give you more power to ward off disease but researchers are not sure if that is why exercise can ward off the common cold. Whatever the reason, researchers can be sure that exercise is good for you and will keep you healthier in the long term. People who exercise have long bragged that working out makes them feel better now there is scientific proof that this is true. Putting the research aside, it is common sense that exercise is good for the body.

Doctors have long recommended that people live an active lifestyle and the ability to prevent contracting a cold is just one more reason to exercise. The other health benefits include reducing the risk for heart attacks and diabetes. Exercise is also an excellent weight control method and is a great complement to any diet plan. When you workout, the body can consume more calories without gaining any additional weight because you are burning the calories through your additional physical activity.

Author Bio: I write for AML Stone Source, the leading hot stones supplies provider. They carry products for hot stone massage, as well as many other accessories for hot and cold stone therapy.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: common cold, common colds, fighting common colds