With more than 425 million colds and flus occurring in the United States each year -- according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- prevention and treatment are important. The question is often raised as to whether individuals with colds should rest or exercise while sick. The American College of Sports Medicine indicates that exercise can be both beneficial and harmful when it come to the common cold.
The Common Cold
The common cold is a viral infection that is passed from person to person primarily through inhalation. The cold virus can also be spread by direct contact with nasal discharge -- coughing or sneezing. Colds can lead to aches, pains, congestion, sneezing, runny noses and coughing. Colds typically last one week and can be treated with over-the-counter medications, including cough medicines, decongestants and antihistamines.
Prevention
Individuals who exercise regularly are placing themselves at lower risk for developing respiratory infections, according to Dr. David C. Neiman, a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Moderate exercise completed for 30 minutes at a time, five days per week, can help to reduce your chances of developing a cold by 40 percent. This is largely because healthy lifestyle choices can strengthen your immune system and decrease your risk of contracting a cold. Individuals who avoid smoking, eat well, get plenty of rest, manage stress well and exercise regularly maintain better immunity to colds than those who make poor health decisions.
Exercise Don'ts
When deciding whether to exercise with a cold, you should use extreme caution. You should not exercise in order to "sweat out" your illness -- there is no data to support that sweating out a cold actually works -- or if your cold spreads beyond your head and causes a fever, swollen glands, respiratory infection or body pains. You should also avoid jumping right back into exercise as you recover from a cold. Ease back into exercise over the next two weeks in order to avoid a re-occurrence of your illness.
Exercise Do's
If the symptoms of your cold are confined to your head -- sore throat or runny nose-- without body aches or a fever, you can exercise, but avoid high-intensity workouts for the first few days. You can also go for a walk in order to help keep active without increasing the intensity of your cold symptoms. If you are planning on going to the gym, use caution. Wipe down exercise equipment with anti-bacterial wipes -- normally provided at the gym -- to avoid the spread of your cold to others. If at any point your symptoms feel worse during exercise, stop exercising and rest for a few days.
