Fight The Flu This Season With Vigorous Exercise

March 17 2014

Fight The Flu This Season With Vigorous Exercise

Exercising does more for the body than burn calories and build muscle. A recent study conducted by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that moderate amounts of “vigorous” exercise can reduce the chance of catching the flu virus (influenza) by roughly 10%.

Researchers analyzed data from the school’s online Flusurvey, which 4,800 people have participated in. They found that individuals who performed at least 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise each week, such as running, cycling, jump roping or playing an outdoor sports, experienced lower rates of the flu.

The study also found this season’s flu rates in the U.K. to be lower than season’s. According to the report, approximately 6% of adults in the U.K. caught the flu virus last season, whereas only 4.7% have caught it this season.

Not-So-Fun Facts About The Flu:

• 250,000 Americans are hospitalized each year from flu complications.
• The flu virus is responsible for 4,000-50,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
• About 1 out of 20 people catch the flu virus.
• Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to flu complications.
• Incubation period (the time from transmission to the onset of symptoms) is typically about 4 days.
• Lasts about one week on average.

Many people believe the months of November and December are the “peak” times for flu. While there are certainly new cases of the flu during these months, January, February and even March are just as bad if not worse. Don’t assume you’re in the clear just because you haven’t caught the flu virus yet. With several weeks left to go in March, there’s still plenty of time to catch this nasty virus.

“We need to treat this result cautiously as these are preliminary findings, however they are consistent with findings for other conditions and really show the health benefits of exercise… Although many people have dodged the flu bullet this winter, flu can occur at any time, so taking advantage of the better weather is a great opportunity to get out and get fit to ward off flu this spring,” said Dr. Alma Adler, ambassador for National Science & Engineering Week and Research

Along with regular exercise, you should also get into the habit of washing your hands on a regular basis. Taking preventive measures like washing your hands, not touching your mouth or eyes, and avoiding people who are sick will greatly reduce your chance of catching the influenza virus.