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Exercise Benefits
6 Exercise Excuses a Sweat Session Can Solve
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Exercise excuse: “Ugh, but I have a cold.”
Tough love truth: Exercise boosts the immune system, helping to beat colds.
Don’t let a bout of sniffles sideline your fitness plan. Studies have consistently shown that working out regularly cuts down on sick days by as much as 66%—both this year and next. As far as that cold you’ve got right now, Ball State University researchers say it’s okay—and possibly even helpful—to break free of the tissue box and get moving. The team conducted two studies by intentionally infecting exercisers with the common cold. In the first, they measured lung power and exercise capacity and determined that performance wasn’t hampered. In other words, a run-of-the-mill head cold shouldn’t hold you back. In the second study, researchers had half the cold sufferers run for 40 minutes a day on a treadmill while the others rested. Symptoms were monitored and tissues were collected (and weighed) for snot output. The verdict: no measurable difference in recovery rates, though some of the exercisers did report feeling better after exercise. (Related: 15 Myths about Running Revealed)
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