Exercise is an important healthy habit that contributes greatly to maintaining the health of the body, especially when committed to practicing it regularly. It not only enhances general health, but also contributes to improving the health of the digestive system and reduces the chances of contracting diseases. In this report, Dalili Medical reviews the effect of exercise on people suffering from colds, according to our website.

Should you exercise while suffering from a cough?

 

Fitness enthusiasts believe that regular exercise may contribute to protection against infection. Research has shown that even moderate exercise can boost immunity against upper respiratory tract infections. But, is exercise the best option when we suffer from a cough? Unfortunately, the available information on the effect of exercise on the severity and strength of cough is scarce and often conflicting.

How can you recover from a cold quickly?

 

There are many home habits that can help you recover from a cold, including:

- Get plenty of rest.

- Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

- Wash your hands frequently to reduce the risk of another infection.

- Take painkillers that help relieve symptoms.

What herbs help expel colds from the body?

 

**Ginger:** Ginger is an effective herb in eliminating bacteria and viruses that cause colds, and it also contributes to cleansing the body of toxins. To strengthen the immune system to combat various diseases, it is recommended to drink a cup of ginger drink with honey daily. Ginger also helps reduce symptoms associated with colds such as runny nose and sore throat, and contributes to accelerating the recovery process.

**Cinnamon:** Cinnamon has properties similar to those found in ginger, but it has a delicious taste. Cinnamon acts as a diuretic and helps rid the respiratory system of excess mucus, and is also used to treat sore throat. In addition, cinnamon enhances the strength of the immune system. You can take a mixture of cinnamon and ginger, or take cinnamon with honey.

**Echinacea:** Echinacea flower helps enhance the body's resistance to diseases, and works to strengthen the immune system. It also contributes to relieving symptoms associated with colds.

**Garlic:** Garlic is considered an effective element in expelling harmful toxins from the body. It also contributes to purifying the respiratory system from viruses and bacteria that cause colds. Eating garlic in food helps boost the immune system, which stimulates the body to produce antibodies that protect it from diseases. Drinking a cup of water with two cloves of soaked garlic can be an effective way to treat colds, in addition to adding garlic to food helps get rid of cold symptoms permanently.

**Honey:** Honey is considered one of the best natural treatments for colds, as it contains antiviral substances, and moisturizes the throat and respiratory system. Honey also plays a preventive role in protecting the body from many diseases.

Eating a spoonful of honey dissolved in a cup of water helps the body resist colds and get rid of them quickly. Honey can be added to various herbs and drinks that treat colds. A mixture of black seed and honey can also be prepared to treat colds effectively.

**Carrots:** The importance of vitamin C in treating various colds cannot be ignored. Therefore, eating carrots is useful in this context, as it contains abundant amounts of vitamin C, in addition to plant fibers that enhance the body's ability to confront various diseases.

**Black seed:** Black seed is considered one of the most prominent natural medicinal herbs, as it contributes to the treatment of many diseases. It also enhances the strength of the immune system thanks to its high content of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances. Eating it helps get rid of many health problems, and it can be consumed ground or in the form of oil. A mixture of black seed and honey can also be prepared to relieve cold symptoms.

**Turmeric:** Turmeric is considered an antibacterial and antiviral, and it also enhances the strength of the immune system in the body. It can be added to food or consumed as a drink with honey, as it contributes to treating colds.

**Tips for exercising safely and healthily during the winter**

 

**Choosing the right clothes:** Make sure to wear appropriate layers of clothing to maintain your body temperature. Start with a thin layer to absorb sweat, followed by a heat-insulating layer, and end with an outer layer that protects you from wind and rain.

**Good Warm-Up:** Do a warm-up before starting your main workout to avoid injuries. Start with light stretching exercises and gradually move on to more intense exercises.

**Choose the right activities:** Choose sports activities that suit your needs, preferably outdoor activities such as walking or cycling.

**Stay hydrated:** Make sure to drink water regularly even on cold days, as fluids can be lost through breathing and sweating.

**Consider the weather:** Check the weather forecast and avoid exercising in extreme weather conditions such as snowstorms or extreme cold.

**Protect yourself from cold winds:** Use protective clothing to protect your face and ears from cold winds, and wear a hat to keep your head warm.

**Pay attention to physical signs:** Be alert for any signs of freezing or heat loss, and stop exercising if you feel any deterioration in your condition.

**Use the right equipment**: Make sure the equipment you use in your workouts is suitable for cold weather conditions and is in good condition.

**Exercise indoors**: On cold or rainy days, you can exercise at your local gym to keep your body warm.

When can you exercise while you have a cold?

 

When your body catches a cold, it needs extra energy to fight the virus, which can make you feel tired and exhausted, and you may find it difficult to do the exercises you used to. However, there are some factors that may allow you to exercise moderately, including:

**Mild symptoms** If your symptoms are mild and do not affect your ability to exercise, you can continue to exercise, but you should monitor your performance and strength, and make sure to drink enough water.

**Ear pain** If you have ear pain as a symptom of a cold, you can exercise, but be careful about fluid accumulation behind the ear, as this can affect your balance. It is best to avoid activities that may lead to fluid accumulation in the ear, such as swimming, or using earplugs.

**Stuffy nose** It can be difficult to exercise with a stuffy nose due to a cold, but this does not mean that you should stop completely. If you want to exercise, you can do so, but you should monitor your level of effort. If you feel tired or unable to continue, it is preferable to take a break to regain your energy.

**Sore throat** A sore throat caused by a cold is a source of discomfort, but it does not prevent you from exercising. It is important to keep your body hydrated, so it is recommended to drink cold fluids to relieve the effect of a sore throat.

**Benefits of daily exercise**

**Increased activity and vitality** Daily exercise contributes to enhancing physical fitness and strengthening muscles, which increases the efficiency of the heart in pumping blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. This in turn leads to increased activity and vitality, which improves physical performance in various daily activities.

**Stimulating positive feelings** Daily exercise improves mood and enhances mental health, and contributes to reducing stress and anxiety. Exercise gives the body energy and vitality, as it increases the secretion of hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, which helps enhance feelings of happiness and positive feelings.

**Weight Control** Exercise is the essential element in weight control, as it helps burn excess calories from food and convert them into energy that the body benefits from instead of storing them as fat.

**Improving Sleep Quality** Exercising daily can contribute to improving the quality of sleep, making it deeper and more comfortable, and it may also help overcome insomnia problems.

**Boosting Immunity** When exercising regularly, the immune system becomes stronger and more able to resist infection and disease, making the body more able to confront germs and viruses.

**Improving Brain Health** Exercise is beneficial for maintaining brain health in all individuals, and is especially important for people at risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Exercising increases blood flow to the brain, which enhances the production of hormones that stimulate the growth and development of brain cells, thus enhancing its ability to memorize, learn and focus.

**Protection from diseases** Exercising stimulates blood circulation, reduces levels of harmful fats, and increases levels of good cholesterol, which enhances the body's ability to fight various diseases.

● Heart disease.

● Strokes and heart attacks.

● Type 2 diabetes.

● Arthritis.

● Depression.

● Cancers such as: bladder, breast, colon, uterus, kidney, lung, and stomach cancer.

**Strengthening muscles and bones** As we age, muscles and bones weaken, so exercising daily helps to strengthen them and protect against changes associated with aging. Exercise strengthens bones and makes them more solid, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis, and increases muscle mass and maintains the flexibility of joints and muscles.

**Pain relief** Exercise plays a vital role in relieving pain, as it enhances muscle strength and increases body flexibility, which contributes to reducing pain in joints and muscles. These benefits are particularly evident in cases of chronic pain such as back pain, joint pain, and fibromyalgia. In addition, studies have shown that exercise reduces the severity of pain and increases the body's endurance.

**Improving skin health** It helps expel toxins from the body through sweating, which contributes to purifying the skin and making it more radiant. In addition, exercise stimulates blood circulation, which enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin better. This in turn gives the skin a healthy appearance, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and signs of aging.

**Enhancing social communication** Sports play an important role in creating a social environment that encourages individuals to communicate and enhances positive relationships between them. It provides many opportunities to participate in group activities that enhance social bonds, and motivates individuals to commit to achieving their sports goals.

**Exercising during influenza: Useful tips**

1. **Light jogging** If jogging is part of your daily routine, there is no reason why you can’t go out for a jog even when you have a mild cold. Jogging can help relieve sinus congestion and relieve feelings of pressure and muscle pain. Of course, you don’t have to run long distances, but you can run slowly and for short distances. Pay attention to your body’s signals. If you feel nauseous or vomiting, it’s best to stay home and rest.

2. **Dancing** Some types of exercise can be appropriate during the flu, such as Zumba classes, aerobic dancing, or even dancing at home with music. These activities may help reduce stress levels. Studies have shown that people who listened to 50 minutes of music and danced achieved increased levels of antibodies and decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol.It goes away, which boosts the immune system.

However, you should remember that group dance classes can transmit the infection to others, so it is better to dance at home in front of the TV instead of participating with others who may expose them to infection.

.** Yoga** When the body faces illness and fights infection, it secretes a hormone known as cortisol. Studies have shown that stress-relieving techniques, such as yoga, can enhance the effectiveness of the immune system. In addition, gentle stretching can help relieve tension and muscle pain associated with a cold. Therefore, practicing yoga during the flu period is of great importance.

**Exercise during influenza: Inadvisable practices** After we have reviewed the most prominent types of exercise suitable during the flu period, it is now necessary to identify the inadvisable practices that should be avoided in this case, the most prominent of which are:

1. **Exercising in the gym** It is not only the type of exercise that matters, but also the place where the activity is done. If your exercise requires going to the gym and interacting with others, this is not a good option. During this period, it is preferable to stay home since you are suffering from a contagious disease, as visiting the gym may lead to transmitting the infection to others.

2. **Weightlifting** When we are sick, our muscles do not work efficiently, especially if we do not get enough sleep. Lifting weights while sick increases the risk of various injuries, which may exacerbate sinus and head pain.

**3. Team sports** Just as with using equipment in the gym, team sports require physical contact with others, which increases the possibility of spreading germs and may lead to infection.

**When is it recommended to avoid exercising when you have a cold?**

 

You may experience cold symptoms that require you to stay home and get enough rest, in order to protect yourself and avoid negatively affecting your performance, in addition to keeping others safe. These symptoms include:

**Fever** Colds usually do not cause a high fever, but in some cases a mild fever may appear. Since exercise increases body temperature, it is best to avoid exercising while you have a fever. Rest for a while and then you can return to exercising after the fever has subsided.

**Wet cough** Exercising may not be a good option when you have a wet cough, also known as a productive cough or a cough with phlegm. This type of cough may prevent you from exercising regularly, as it takes time to expel phlegm, in addition to the pressure on your lungs and heart.

**Stomach pain ** Usually, if a cold is accompanied by chest or stomach pain, it is best not to exercise until you are completely healed.

When should you consult a specialist?

 

It is usually recommended to visit a specialist if you experience any uncomfortable symptoms during exercise or when you have the flu, including:

- Dizziness.

- Feeling tight in the chest.

- Difficulty breathing normally.

- Coughing.

- Loss of balance.

**Tips to consider while exercising in case of a cold**

 

It is essential to keep your body well hydrated while exercising, as colds can increase the risk of dehydration.

Make sure to drink warm drinks after finishing your exercises, in addition to some vitamins, especially vitamin C.

Do not neglect to take prescribed medications regularly, and be careful when returning to strenuous exercise, as this should be gradual according to the extent of your body's recovery from colds and flu.