Good and bad exercises for colds and sinusitis

People with colds and sinusitis can walk, jog, do yoga, etc.; limit exercises that require strength and high intensity.

Regular exercise can boost your body’s immunity to certain illnesses. If you have a cold or sinus infection but still want to exercise, low-intensity exercise is better. Here are some good and bad exercises for these illnesses.

Good exercises

Take a walk : A cold can sap your energy levels, but even a 20-minute walk can help improve cold symptoms. If your sinuses are congested, walking can encourage deep breathing and clear your sinuses. However, if walking or any strenuous activity makes you feel worse, stop and focus on resting.

Jogging: Family physician Andrea Hulse in Maryland, USA shared in Health that her patients all said that jogging helps them feel more comfortable when they are sick. Jogging is a natural way to clear the nose and help you stay awake. When you are sick, you should reduce the intensity of jogging because the body is working too hard to fight the infection. You should stop jogging if you experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Qigong: Low-intensity mindfulness, without the need for excessive sweating, helps reduce stress, improve blood flow, and increase energy. Qigong may also have the ability to boost the body's immune system. A meta-analysis from the University of Sydney (Australia), Harvard Medical School (USA), and several units published in the journal Medicines in 2020 showed that this practice helps enhance immune function and prevent inflammation.

Yoga: According to a 2018 review of research from Maastricht University in the Netherlands published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine , stress-reduction techniques such as yoga and breathing exercises can boost immunity and reduce inflammation. Gentle stretching can help relieve aches and pains associated with colds and sinus infections.

If you're worried about overdoing yoga moves like sun salutations, you might want to opt for slower-paced practices like Hatha or Iyengar yoga. Focusing on restorative poses at home, like child's pose (Balansana), may be more appropriate.

Practicing yoga helps improve health and is good for people with colds. Photo: Freepik — Practicing yoga helps improve health and is good for people with colds. Photo: *Freepik*

Dance: Zumba or cardio dancing or even just swaying to your favorite tunes while cleaning the house can help your body feel better. Dancing reduces stress levels, which supports immune function. Dance exercises do not cause excessive sweating or stress on joints, which can aggravate sinus headaches caused by colds. Dance at a pace and intensity that feels comfortable.

Swimming: Swimming and cycling can help relieve congestion and increase energy levels. However, they are not effective for everyone. Swimming can be quite refreshing but be aware that some people may find it difficult to breathe while swimming due to irritation from chlorinated water.

Biking: Biking is a moderate activity, but avoid riding in traffic when you have a cold. According to the American Respiratory Care Association , breathing in pollutants irritates the airways and can lead to symptoms like shortness of breath and coughing, making you feel worse.

bad exercises

Weightlifting: The body's reduced strength and performance when fighting a cold puts you at increased risk of injury if you attempt to lift heavy equipment. The strain of lifting weights can cause sinus pressure, which can make headaches even worse.

Team Practices: Sports that involve physical contact can spread infectious diseases. Cold and flu viruses spread through droplets and hand-to-hand contact. Therefore, people with these illnesses should limit team practice or going to the gym.

Kim Uyen (According to Health )

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