Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/510259
immune system is at locating and defending against viruses and diseases trying to attack your body. Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold or the flu right up through devastating, life- threatening diseases like cancer. It's not possible to be optimally healthy if your immune system is weak or compromised, and exercise plays a crucial role in making sure this is not the case. Should You Exercise While You Have a Cold? If you do come down with a cold, many people wonder if it's better to rest up during your recovery or try to continue with an exercise program. Two long-forgotten studies from the late 1990s indicate that not only is it safe to exercise when you have an upper respiratory tract infection, but it could actually make you feel better -- even if it doesn't speed up your recovery. If you have enough energy to tolerate it, increasing your body temperature by sweating from exercise will help to kill many viruses, including cold viruses. However you need to be very careful and listen to your body -- do not do your full, normal exercise routine, as that could clearly stress your immune system even more and prolong your illness if you overdo it. Also, if you feel overly tired or too sick to exercise, a nap may be a better choice for your recovery than a workout. MAJOR Caution with Exercise Please understand that exercise really can only be used to PREVENT colds. If you have a cold now it is too late to use exercise to treat it. In fact, if you are exercising regularly and come down with a cold you need to immediately decrease your exercise frequency and intensity. Exercise is a stress, a good one, and that is one of the reasons why it works so well, but when you are sick it is time to reduce the stress and cut back to put more of your energy into healing. If you have been exercising you can do this and typically will bounce right back. If you haven't been exercising you can't cut back from zero so you lose a major tool in treating colds. Moral of the story is to make sure you are exercising now!! Abby's Magazine - May/June 2015 | Page 31