So it’s a fact, cold and flu season has arrived! I understand I’ll hopefully have a great, if not, amazing likelihood of beating it! Questions appear daily with my customers about illness and exercise. Is it ok to exercise if I have a cold? Does exercise help prevent illness? A good deal people are going to get sick this year, so it is a good idea to know what to do if it happens to you.
Prevention
But what about preventing illness in the first place? All of us make a conscious effort to take our vitamins and eat a balanced diet of proteins, grains, vegetables and fruits, but can exercise help protect you from getting a cold or the flu? According to specialists from the American College of Sports Medicine,”multiple studies have demonstrated a 25% to 50% decline in sick time for busy folks who complete at least 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.” The security that regular exercise offers is much greater than the security drugs can provide, according to the report.
So rather than taking a pill, take a walk or get to the gym to help ward off a cold! Despite your best efforts, you may still wind up getting the sniffles this winter. So how can you determine if you’re too sick to work out? Here are a few tips to follow when it comes to exercise and to only just wanting to feel better! The fantastic news is that you may continue with mild or moderate exercise when you’ve got a cold with no fever.
Moderate exercise
It might even help you feel better by temporarily relieving nasal congestion. If you have a cold that is above the neck (runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, etc.) then you should be fine to proceed with exercise if you are feeling up to it. To tell the truth, I typically feel better after a moderate workout once I have a cold, which incidentally, is quite rare! However, If you have symptoms which are below the neck like chest congestion or tightness, coughing cough, fever or upset stomach, it is far better to break and postpone your workout.
As always use common sense and listen to your body. If you’re not feeling well but still need to use, reduce the intensity of your workout. If your symptoms worsen with exercise, then stop and rest. Missing a few days won’t destroy everything you’ve achieved in the gym. In actuality, it might even help you come back stronger and much healthier! Can Exercise Reduce Your Risk of Catching a Cold In the First Place? While moderate training has shown to lower your chance of catching a cold, be sure to take time for rest and recovery after periods of intensive training.
Immune system
Your immune system fights most efficiently when it is not stressed. Therefore, following high intensity training sessions like weight training or sprint sessions, your immune system is compromised and much more susceptible to viruses and germs. Research confirms that a moderate exercise program may boost immunity and your immunity to respiratory infections. But scientists also note that athletes who train rigorously without retrieval are more prone to viral infections like colds or flu.
While immunity is fostered when you work out reasonably, the opposite could be true for elite or high performance athletes like fitness athletes, hockey players, triathletes (to name a couple ) who push their physical limits with extreme training without adequate recovery. For instance, there’s signs of suppressed immunity during times of intense and prolonged exercise training with a greater variety of upper respiratory tract infections. When workouts become excessive or stressful, there may be diminished quantities of white blood cells circulating throughout your body and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which might inhibit the ability of specific immune cells to work properly.
Take note
So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that we can make it through this year without missing a day at the gym because of illness. Our immune system is unique and powerful, particularly to avoid virus infection.
- Exercise and get fresh air every day. Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your health and pleasure by releasing endorphins and by boosting your immunity to diseases by boosting the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria. Most of us spend 90% of our lives indoors, inhaling filtered air and other people’s germs, so make it a priority to get outside. Time spent outside in the cold also stimulates the thyroid gland.
- Get sufficient sleep. You should receive between six to eight hours of sleep per night to keep your health, and researchers have discovered that less sleep may provide you greater risk for infection. Sleep has also been associated with balanced hormone levels (such as human growth hormone and the stress hormone, cortisol), keeping weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and lively, healthy skin.
- Eat a lot of protein. Protein is a building block for a healthy body, mind, and immune system. Diets low in protein are inclined to be high in carbohydrates which convert easily into sugar, spiking blood glucose and stressing the pancreas and the immune system.
- Drink a lot of water. This Is Essential! Most headaches happen because people still are not getting enough water! Headaches and thirst are both symptoms of dehydration.
- Consume vitamin D, it may enhance your natural immune response to bacteria disease like tuberculosis and boost production of antimicrobial peptides. Get between 1000-2000 iu/day.
- Don’t consume alcohol and boost sugar. Both decrease the ability of white blood cells to kill germs. If you do just 1 thing to boost your immune system, eliminating alcohol and sugar will do just fine! You will see noticeable results in your energy levels, weight reduction, resistance and your ability to think clearly once you break the cravings and quit eating refined sugar and drinking alcohol. Many nutritionists believe sugar a medication because of its negative effect on the human body. Healthier sugars like agave and stevia do exist, but avoid artificial sweeteners; they’re even worse than glucose.
- Stock up on raw fruits and vegetables for their antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber. The nutrient content that you get from uncooked veggies and fruits is unparalleled. Many vitamins & antioxidants, such as C, will protect cells including those of your immune system – from damage by toxins in the environment. Fill up on dark-coloured create such as berries, broccoli and kale. They’re higher in antioxidants, polyphenols and other wholesome antioxidants.
- Avoid obesity. Excessive body fat may decrease your immune performance by decreasing the ability of white blood cells to multiply and produce cells.
- Nurture & socialize . Ensure to take the time to yourself, spend some time with friends, family and indulge yourself in a massage or a spa. Our bodies react to our emotions – if you are feeling harassed and stressed, it may manifest in a sore throat or a cold.
Conclusion
Pay attention to warning signs of sore throat or fatigue so that you can keep them from getting worse. Take a “mental health day” every few months to be certain that your emotional needs are met. When you are happy and stress free you are far less likely to become sick.
