There is some modern evidence that qi gong has immunity-boosting powers, as well: A University of Virginia study in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine found that varsity swimmers who did qi gong at least once a week came down with 70 percent fewer respiratory infections that their teammates who practiced it less often.
Training for a marathon? Skip this weekend's long run if you're sick—even if you're already getting over, or just feel yourself coming down with, a cold. While no studies have looked at the effects of endurance running while already sick, Hulse says, its overall strain on the immune system is well documented: A study published in the Journal of Applied Sciences , for example, reported that immune function may be compromised for up to 24 hours after prolonged, continuous exercise 1.
The body releases the stress hormone cortisol while it's fighting infections like the common cold , and research suggests that stress-relieving techniques—such as yoga and breathing exercises—may help boost immunity. Plus, says Dr. Besser, gentle stretching may help relieve aches and pains related to colds and sinus infections. Choose a slower style of practice, like Hatha or Iyengar yoga, if you're worried about overdoing it with vigorous sun salutations.
And don't forget to say "om": A Swedish study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that humming is a good way to open up clogged sinus passages. In addition to how you exercise when you're sick, it's also important to consider where you exercise: "If your workout involves going to the gym and being in close contact with other people, you need to ask yourself if you'd want someone else with your symptoms doing the same thing," says Dr.
Taking a Zumba or cardio dance class—or even just rocking out to your favorite tunes while you clean the house—can serve as a stress-reduction technique. In fact, research has found that people who just listened to 50 minutes of dance music had less cortisol and more cold-fighting antibodies—a sure boost to their immune systems.
Dance classes tend to be low impact, so you can break a sweat without putting too much stress on your joints or aggravating a cold-related sinus headache. You can go at your own pace, as well: Take it easy on days you're not feeling percent, and try to just enjoy the party. Your strength and performance will likely be diminished while you're battling a cold, says Dr. Besser—especially if you've missed out on quality sleep—putting you at increased risk for injury while trying to lift heavy equipment.
Plus, the muscle strain required to lift weights can cause sinus pressure and headaches to feel even worse, he adds. Yes, downing carbs while exercising or immediately beforehand helps take the edge off some of the negative immune system responses associated with workouts, and is especially effective at fighting the overtraining symptoms that sometimes manifest in people who work out too many days in a row.
There still isn't definitive link between chugging your sports drink of choice and preventing illness—a lot more than immune system robustness goes into whether somebody actually gets sick, of course—but still, with this year's unshakable cold coming and going and coming all over again for many people, it's certainly worth keeping in mind next time you pack your gym bag. Other tweaks to your diet can help, too. A high-protein regimen helps to regulate immune system functionality and may even play a role in avoiding those dreaded upper respiratory infections.
Consuming a carbohydrate-protein solution read: protein shake immediately after exercise helps, too, so if you're not already in the habit of replenishing once your workout is over, this is another good reason to start. Though you can't exactly "sweat out" an illness, some research shows that moderate physical activity could shorten the length of time you have symptoms. If you're experiencing symptoms of the flu or severe symptoms in general, it's probably best to give your body some time to rest and recover.
Your body is already working very hard to fight off whatever's bringing you under the weather, and exercising adds unnecessary stress -- and may undermine the efforts of your immune system. If you decide to exercise when you're sick, it's best to avoid intense activities that might result in overexertion.
Instead of strenuous exercise such as sprinting, jumping, interval training or heavy weightlifting, opt for light exercise such as walking, easy biking or yoga. Also make sure to drink plenty of water and electrolytes to maintain fluid balance, eat nutritious pre- and post-workout meals and get plenty of sleep. Most importantly, don't ignore what your body tells you. If you pick up on any warning signs once you start your workout -- even if you felt OK before starting -- reduce the intensity further or stop altogether.
Take weight training for example; when you perform heavy squats, you exert physical stress on your muscles, which damages them at the cellular level. Your body then mounts an inflammatory response, which routes oxygen, nutrients, and immune cells to your muscles to kick off the repair process. It's this process that can cause elevated levels of hsCRP, a biomarker for total body inflammation, and creatine kinase , an indicator of muscle breakdown, after an especially tough workout.
In addition to mobilizing immune cells to our muscles, exercise has also been shown to affect our overall levels of white blood cells WBC. In fact, certain types of interval training increase WBC in the body, and moderate-to-intense training can help optimize types of WBC known to fight viral and bacterial infections. Think of it as immune system training; it's through this mechanism that exercise can help build a strong immune system.
Well, now you know that exercise can induce elevated inflammation levels and, in turn, WBC numbers. Therefore, our ability to mount a proper immune response to fight off infections is severely inhibited. Of course, we know it can be hard for some people to weigh a day of training with a day in bed. So, by following some simple guidelines about training when sick, you can still get in your workout and get rid of the runny nose at the same time.
These include symptoms such as a light cold, runny nose, sneezing, and a minor sore throat. In my experience, a light training day can actually help open nasal passages and clear out congestion — but do take some modifications into consideration:.
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