facts about colds

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Your sneakers are your best defense.
There's no vaccine for the common cold—no shot you can get, no pill you can pop, no medication that can grant you immunity from the miserable combination of a runny nose, scratchy throat and stuffy head. In numerous surveys, though, fitness buffs report that they're much less likely to experience these symptoms—and not because they also tend to be more likely to eat well and prioritize sleep. In 2010, exercise researchers at Appalachian State University followed more than 1,000 adults during the fall and winter, monitoring their activity level and rates of upper-respiratory-tract infection, and found that those who exercised five or more days a week were indeed less likely to catch a cold (or report severe or long-lasting symptoms) than those who worked out once a week or less. Study author David C. Nieman, PhD, hypothesized that regular exercise—which includes brisk walking—mobilizes immune cells, putting them on high-alert for invading pathogens.