Physical activity during colds

Physical load during the cold - can it be used or will it weaken even more and so weakened by the viruses organism? Let's find the answer to this question together, taking into account the facts about colds and sports.

Read also: Flu and physical activity

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The study of the use of physical exertion for colds

Is the physical load useful for colds? This question was answered by scientists in the study conducted by the College of Sports Medicine in the United States. Those who conducted the study, found that exercise with colds in mild form helps to reduce symptoms.

And, conversely, weight training is able to completely dislodge a person from the rut during a cold or even more so - the flu. Strength training in such heavy sports as powerlifting, armwrestling and bodybuilding, showed a significant worsening of cold symptoms in people who did not stop physical activities.

Sports can help you get better soon

This conclusion was reached by scientists during their research. But only in that case, scientists believe, if the physical load does not deplete the body. After all, what a healthy person can do is sometimes beyond the power of the patient. A cold weakens the human immune system, and with it all other body systems.

Therefore, even with a relatively normal state of health and a cold at the initial stage, intensified exercise can only make the symptoms of a cold worse. But with a heavier condition, but with an optimal load (simple exercises and a healthy diet, a lot of water throughout the day), sport can shorten the time of the disease and alleviate its symptoms.

Even taking into account the fact that a person has an average cold of 5 times a year and this person is an athlete, a cold can prevent him from doing. But do not sacrifice your health to sports. Have fallen ill - reduce the sports load, and you will recover much faster.

What happened in the groups of subjects during the experiment?

Scientists of the American University in Indiana conducted a study of 50 people under the guidance of Professor Veydneriz, MD. These 50 students, who agreed to be injected with virus-infected sera, and then the scientists followed them for 10 days. At the same time 25 students actively engaged in sports during this period, while others practiced only light exercises.

After 10 days, it became clear that those students who did not subject their bodies to too heavy physical exertion for colds more quickly recovered. Their cold symptoms were not as severe as those who practiced extremely intense strength exercises. You can do it yourself.

Reality and experiment with colds

Experiment with students - this must be taken into account! - was carried out under mild laboratory conditions. The virus he administered was not severe and did not cause very serious cold symptoms, as is often the case in real life. But those who periodically suffer from colds, it is worthwhile to know that in ordinary life a person suffers from many strains of viruses against which the human immune system can be very difficult to fight.

In addition, unrecognized viruses can cause serious complications: disruption of the heart, vessels, respiratory system, kidneys, liver, causing intoxication of the whole organism, which makes the muscles and headache unbearably painful. And then it can be quite difficult to distinguish between flu and cold, to choose the right treatment, and even to calculate the duration and intensity of physical activity. The doctor will help you in all this.

If you are sick, do not torture yourself, but rest more, and do exercises that you can. So you will recover faster and there will be less chance that the cold will return soon.

Complications due to physical overloads

It is clear that even a mild cold is a burden on all body systems. It suppresses the anabolic processes in the muscles, activates the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which poisons your tissues and leads the muscles into a painful condition, destroying them. If a person does not give himself respites, actively engaged in sports, these processes are accelerated and aggravated. And then from training you not only do not get the sense - it will do you much harm.

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Do not exercise and do not give yourself much physical exertion if:

• You are in the middle of a cold
• Your symptoms are aggravated
• You feel increased weakness and fatigue
• You do not get enough sleep
• You have elevated - over 38 degrees Celsius - body temperature
• Your muscles and head ache
• You cough and wheeze
• It's hard for you to breathe

If the disease has been in severe form, it is better to avoid physical exertion about 3-4 days after recovery - this guarantees you a better effect of getting rid of colds.

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What means will help to cope with the common cold?

Please note that these funds will not reduce the duration of your illness, but they can reduce the severity of cold symptoms

1. Reception of antipyretic drugs - for example, teraflu
2. Sucking cough drops with analgesic effect - for example, travecil
3. With a strong cough symptom, take antitussive syrups, for example, tussin or travecil
4. To reduce irritation and dryness in the throat, it is possible to use sprays, such as lygol, gum or inhalipt

Prevention of colds combined with sports

Even if you are actively involved in physical culture and sports, do not forget about the following methods of preventing colds :

• Be sure to drink vitamins about a month before the onset of cold season - in October and April. Vitamin complexes on the recommendation of a doctor you must take at least twice a year - in spring and autumn
• Rest and sleep - this will reduce the risk of morbidity
• Take vitamin C and glutamine on the advice of a doctor , especially before seasonal flu epidemics
• Increase immunity with Echinacea extract (unless you have increased blood pressure - echinacea will increase it even more).
• Tempered at any time of the year, but gradually.

So, physical exercises during the cold, as we have seen, depend on the health and severity of the disease. Therefore, when deciding on sports during a cold, you need to be guided by the doctor's appointments and your own common sense.