Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

Even if you take precautions, you’re bound to catch at least one cold this winter. But a cold doesn’t necessarily mean you have to take off time from your workout regimen.

Some fitness experts (and non-experts) say it depends on “where” the cold strikes your body. If the cold symptoms are above your neck, you can go ahead and exercise. If the symptoms are below the neck (i.e., in your chest), you should take some time off. But does science back this up?

A recent New York Times article reported that the question of whether it’s okay to work out with a cold—and, if so, at what intensity—”stumps many exercise physiologists and infectious disease specialists.” The question hasn’t received much attention from researchers.

The Times found only two studies that addressed this issue, both conducted at Ball State University a decade ago. The first study found that “having a cold had no effect on either lung function or exercise capacity,” even though the participants reported feeling fatigued.

The second study considered whether exercising with a cold affects your symptoms and recovery time. (As part of this study, “researchers collected the subjects’ used facial tissues, weighing them to assess their cold symptoms.” Yuck.) The researchers found no difference in symptoms or in the time it took to recover from the colds between cold sufferers who exercised and those who rested. And when the exercisers assessed their symptoms, some said they felt okay and others actually felt better.

As a result, the Ball State researchers “encourage people to exercise when they have colds, at least if they have the type producing symptoms like runny noses and sneezing.” They’re more cautious about colds that produce fevers or symptoms below the neck, like chest congestion. They find that some patients are suspicious when advised they can continue exercising—these patients want to back off of their efforts a bit. In response, one expert offers this warning:

“… that’s O.K. if it’s for a short period of time. But what you have to be cautious of, where I see it as more of an issue, is with people who are trying to build that exercise habit. They’ve got all these barriers anyway.”

In other words, don’t let a cold derail your fitness program.

I wrote a couple months ago about gender bias in the diagnosis of heart disease. And yesterday the Chicago Tribune ran a story that really drives home the importance of educating yourself on the symptoms and prevention of heart disease—including the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) Guidelines for Preventing Cardiovascular Disease in Women.

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If you plan on getting serious about fitness in the new year, you might be thinking about hiring a personal trainer. A trainer can pay off for both exercise novices and fitness veterans, but it’s important to find the right one.

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It’s that time of year. People all over are making vows for 2009, often in the hope of improving their health. If you’re trying to come up with some resolutions, Women’s Health offers 12 healthy habits that might make a good jumping off place.

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Runner’s World has put the call out for embarrassing running stories. The magazine is asking runners to share their most embarrassing running moments—that they wouldn’t mind seeing in print. The “best” stories will appear in an upcoming issue, but you can enjoy the various entries before then (and share your own stories) on the RW web site.

Nostalgia has its place, but, as this season of overindulgence continues, we can be grateful for certain advances—like the relocation of the scale from the parlor to the bathroom.

For some reason, Washington University recently issued a news release informing readers that “once upon a time, scales were displayed in parlors, not hidden in bathrooms.” In the late 19th century, weighing yourself was considered an enjoyable thing to do at parties and on holidays.

“A family would think it fun to weigh themselves before and after a big holiday dinner to see how much they had gained,” said Deborah I. Levine, Ph.D. “Knowing your weight was a novelty, a kind of parlor trick, before scales became widely available through mass production.” Scales were often found alongside other popular 19th-century devices for body measurement. Nothing says fun, after all, like body measurements.

But, back then, your weight was considered a “fun fact to be shared and compared among family and friends.” Hard to imagine today, isn’t it?

The New York Times ran an article last month on “Road Runner Rage.” It opens with the story of an angry runner swearing and dumping her water bottle on a car that almost hit her. Then there’s the runner who had a jelly doughnut thrown at him (now that’s just wasteful) and the recounting of a series of other recent confrontations. As the article notes:

“Drivers honk their horns. Runners yell back. Obscene hand gestures occasionally go up. Usually, it ends there. But there are times when these seemingly minor altercations escalate.”

Of course, such incidents aren’t limited to the road—paths see their share of runner run-ins, too.

One expert quoted in the article offers some novel advice for when a driver cuts you off or otherwise triggers your rage:

“The startle response is neutral. It clears your thoughts and perceptions. We train people to see it as free Starbucks. You’re already pumping adrenaline and, with more energy, you’ll run even more efficiently.”

So the next time someone agitates you on your run, don’t forget to say thank you!

Give the gift of safety. Use coupon code PCACTIVE81 to get 10 percent off of everything at Road ID.com. Road IDs make a great stocking stuffer.

Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, but this carb lover always stands ready to defend them, even in the face of apparently effective low-carb diets. What is life, after all, without the occasional pleasure of sugars and starches? Now I have a new, more scientifically-based defense for carbs. Researchers have concluded that cutting carbs can have an immediate effect on cognitive behavior—and “low-carb, no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition.”

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