(Editors Note: The new articles that will come up in the Health and Fitness News section of Club Solutions Magazine Online, “Your Members Health,” will give you the opportunity to take an article and photo we’ve provided you and send it out to your members in your e-mail blasts or on your website at no charge. Just a little something extra to make your job a lot easier.)
There may not be a cure for the common cold, but people who exercise regularly seem to have fewer and milder colds, a new study presented.
In the U.S., adults can expect to catch a cold two to four times a year, and children can expect to get six to 10 colds annually.
A report published November 1 in the online edition of the “British Journal of Sports Medicine” suggested those that workout regularly are sick less often and less severe.
For the study, the researchers collected data on 1,002 men and women from ages 18 to 85. Over 12 weeks in the fall and winter of 2008, the researchers tracked the number of upper respiratory tract infections the participants suffered.
In addition, all the participants reported how much and what kinds of aerobic exercise they did weekly, and rated their fitness levels using a 10-point system. They were also quizzed about their lifestyle, dietary patterns and stressful events, all of which can affect the immune system.
Researchers found:
- The frequency of colds among people who exercised five or more days a week was up to 46 percent less than those who were mostly sedentary — that is, who exercised only one day or less of the week.
- The number of days people suffered cold symptoms was 41 percent lower among those who were physically active on five or more days of the week, compared to the mostly sedentary group.
- The group that felt the fittest also experienced 34 percent fewer days of cold symptoms than those who felt the least fit.
- Colds also appeared to be less severe for those in better shape. Among those who felt the fittest, the severity of symptoms dropped by 32 percent and by 41 percent among those who exercised the most.
One limitation of the study was a lack of adjustment for all variables that might affect the outcome, such as exposure to cold germs at work or from children in the home, the researchers noted.
But the study did account for a variety of factors, including age, body mass index and education. And, after taking those factors into account, the researchers found that being older, male, and married reduced the frequency of colds. However, the most significant factors (besides being older) were perceived fitness and the amount of exercise for a person.
