Running with a Runny Nose

Have you ever wondered if you should exercise when you're sick? Will it weaken your immune system further? And make you feel worse?

Two decade-old studies published in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal showed results so much in favor of exercise that it surprised even the researchers themselves.

The investigators found no difference in symptoms between those who exercised and those who rested. There was no difference in the time it took to recover from the colds. But when the exercisers assessed their symptoms, people said they felt okay, and, in some cases, they actually felt better.

Dr. Leonard Kaminsky, an exercise physiologist at Ball State University, and others encourage people to exercise when they have colds --- if they have the type producing symptoms like runny noses and sneezing. He is more cautious about other types of colds that produce fevers or symptoms below the neck such as chest congestion.

Sources:
mercola.com
The New York Times December 24, 2008
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise May 1997; 29(5):604-9
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise November 1998; 30(11):1578-83

To get the top fitness programs in the industry, go to: http://tinyurl.com/b6hfml