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John Hough, Senior Lecturer, Exercise Physiology, Nottingham Trent University

Exercising while sick won't help you get over a cold faster – but it may prevent your next one

The stress of exercising while sick could potentially make our immune cells less effective. Dmytrenko Vlad/ Shutterstock

Exercising regularly is good for your immune system – with some research suggesting that it may even lower the risk of getting upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold. Even as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week is enough to bring about benefits.

Since exercising is good for our immune system, some people might think that exercising while you’re sick can help you “sweat it out.” Unfortunately, when it comes to the common cold, there’s no evidence exercising while sick can shorten the illness or make it less severe.

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