Theres a good reason to keep active this flu season. Researchers say regular exercise can boost the immune system and reduce the chance of being affected by the seasonal flu virus as well as the H1N1 strain.
According to Reuters, researchers at Iowa State University have found that moderate exercise helps the immune system function and can limit symptoms of a virus or move a virus out of the system faster.
They compared mice who ran on a treadmill every day with mice that didnt take part in an exercise program. After exposing both groups to the flu virus, they found that the group that exercised fared better against the infection.
Researchers say its unclear if the results will be the same for humans, but they believe that regular exercisers suffer fewer or at least less-severe respiratory infections.
containing vitamins C and D as well as echinacea, probiotics and zinc are all believed to help boost immunity and fight illnesses.
According to Health.com, many health practitioners believe herbal supplements containing andrographis, astragalus, elderberry, honeysuckle and forsythia may also help prevent viral infections.