Regular exercise is good for your immune system, and some studies suggest it may reduce your risk of developing respiratory infections, such as the common cold. 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week is sufficient to achieve the benefits, according to the site “Sense Alert“.
Because exercise is beneficial for the immune system, some people may think that exercising while sick can aid recovery, but unfortunately, when it comes to colds, there is no evidence that exercising while sick can shorten its duration or make it less severe.
Conversely, there are several reasons why exercise is beneficial to our immune system.
The first reason can be explained in part by the hormones that are secreted when exercising. These are called “catecholamines”, which people may know better as adrenaline and noradrenaline.
These hormones play an important role in the functioning of our immune system, by stimulating important immune cells that help detect the presence of viruses or other pathogens in the body.
They also increase the amount of movement of immune cells between the blood and tissues, which is important for detecting and preventing diseases caused by viruses or other pathogens. Some studies show that exercise is one way we can increase the levels of these important hormones in our bodies.
And when we exercise, blood flow also increases to help our bodies keep up with the increased demands of exercise. This increased blood flow puts more pressure on the blood vessels, causing the release of certain immune cells called “natural killer cells” and “T cells” that can be found lurking on the walls of blood vessels. Natural killer cells and T cells play an important role in killing virus-infected cells.
Exercise may also help us fight infection in other ways. For example, it has been shown that older adults who exercise regularly over a period of one month have faster skin wound healing than those who do not exercise. This faster healing process reduces the risk of viruses and bacteria entering the body through skin wounds.
Together, all of these mechanisms may improve our immune system and reduce our risk of getting sick from viral infections.
And you don’t even have to be a regular gym-goer to see the benefits, three studies showed that when people who didn’t exercise started brisk walking regularly for 40-45 minutes, five days a week, symptoms of respiratory infections were reduced by 40-50 percent percent compared to others who do not exercise any kind.
Despite the immune system benefits of exercise, it’s hard to know if exercising while you have a cold will help you beat the disease faster than if you didn’t exercise.
Although there is currently no evidence that exercising while you have a cold can help you get over it faster, that doesn’t mean you can’t exercise if you want to.
The site notes that “regular exercise is a great way to help activate the immune system to fight many different types of infections, including colds and possibly even the Corona virus,” and that “sometimes the best treatment for colds is rest, drinking fluids, and taking medications.” Pain relievers if necessary.