Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Even Walking Boosts Our Immune Systems

Does exercise really boost the immune system? To test this scientifically, the American College of Sports Medicine conducted two studies with young and elderly women to determine whether those who exercise get fewer colds than those who don't. In both studies, women in the exercise groups walked briskly 35 to 45 minutes, 5 days a week, for 12 to 15 weeks, while the control groups remained physically inactive. The walkers experienced about half the days with cold symptoms as the sedentary group.

Other research has shown that during moderate exercise, several positive changes occur in the immune system. Although the immune system returns to pre-exercise levels very quickly after the exercise session, each session represents a boost that appears to reduce the risk of infection over the long term.

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