Exercise contraindications after a cold and men's health through jogging for bone health

Is it okay to exercise after catching a cold?

Some young men like to play ball or run after catching a cold, feeling that sweating it out will alleviate their symptoms. Sometimes this is true, because during exercise, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, the heart rate increases, breathing accelerates, and the body's defense system, composed of white blood cells and antibodies, functions better. Additionally, sweating helps the body expel toxins more quickly, thus relieving some cold symptoms. However, it's important to know that while this might be fine for a few people with strong constitutions, in the early stages of a cold, or with mild symptoms, it is ineffective or even harmful for most people. Even in young people, it can sometimes lead to serious complications such as myocarditis.

A cold is an acute upper respiratory tract infection caused by a virus. To fight off the invading virus, the body mobilizes its defense system, resulting in a certain degree of fever, increased white blood cell count, and enhanced phagocytosis, antibody production, and liver detoxification. Simultaneously, metabolism accelerates to improve the body's resistance to disease. However, exercising after catching a cold will further increase internal heat production and metabolism, inevitably leading to excessively high body temperature. This can disrupt the body's regulatory functions, excessively increase the excitability of the central nervous system, and consume too much energy, weakening the body's resistance and significantly increasing oxygen consumption, thus burdening the heart, lungs, and other systems.

Furthermore, some acute infectious diseases, such as epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis and viral hepatitis, can present with cold-like upper respiratory symptoms in their early stages, sometimes making them difficult to distinguish from a cold. If you have these illnesses and then engage in physical exercise, the consequences will be more severe.

Therefore, it is best to avoid physical exercise when you have a cold. Instead, take medication and rest under the guidance of a doctor, and resume exercise only after you have fully recovered.

Slow jogging for men strengthens bones and muscles.

There are three famous sayings from ancient Greece: Do you want to be healthy? Run. Do you want to be smart? Run. Do you want to be beautiful? Run. When you jog briskly along a forest trail, your body's cells and capillaries can fully absorb the fresh oxygen released from the forest, promoting blood circulation. Experts believe that people suffering from depression, insomnia, and other symptoms can recover without medication if they persist in running.

Studies suggest that jogging is very helpful in maintaining bone health. Bone density depends primarily on exercise, and secondarily on calcium supplementation. Moderate daily physical activity is crucial for bone health. Bone mineral density is significantly correlated with exercise score. Moreover, the intensity of exercise is not important; what matters is the cumulative exercise score—the exercise done daily or almost daily. Researchers studied over 4,000 people, and the results showed that jogging resulted in men being lighter and having fewer chronic health problems. Furthermore, these men had an average 5% higher bone density in their legs than non-runners and an 8% higher bone density than men who did no exercise at all. Studies show that even men who run only once a month have higher bone density than men who do not run. Men who run more than nine times a month have higher bone density. However, the benefits of running don't increase indefinitely with frequency or intensity; men who run more than 20 times a month have roughly the same bone density as those who run less than 12 times. Researchers believe there may be a limit, beyond which it's difficult to increase the effect further. Therefore, men should start jogging early and maintain it consistently to significantly increase bone density.

Jogging is the simplest, most practical, and effective way to prevent osteoporosis. Just half an hour a day can effectively increase bone density and prevent osteoporosis. Start jogging now to strengthen your bones!