by Pennie Sempell
It’s cold season again. Last time your child had a cold, her nose was running for weeks. Your husband had a cough for months, it seemed. Don’t you wonder why for some people (young and old) a cold hangs on for weeks, and for other people, the cold bug rarely takes hold?
What makes our immune cells do their job better sometimes than others? Stress is a big piece. Decades of studies have demonstrated that there is an inverse relationship between stress and a well-functioning immune system. What does that mean? Lower stress, better immune function, generally speaking.
Here are two life skills that might help you and your family prevent common colds:
#1: Learn how to manage stress and it is likely to help your immune system. (See my article in May 2011 issue of HERD, or check our website for resources.)
#2: Take brisk walks. Here’s something new! For many people, a brisk walk most days turns out to be an excellent weapon to prevent getting sick. Researchers at Appalachian State University in North Carolina monitored 1,000 people, ages 18-85, about their health and fitness habits. Surprisingly, those people who exercised five or more times a week had cold symptoms that were much less severe and ended 43-46% sooner than those in people who worked out once or week or not at all.
Taking a family walk is easy and free. It is not too soon to start developing good exercise habits that just might help circulate those magnificent immune cells within you to all corners of your body.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
It’s cold season again. Last time your child had a cold, her nose was running for weeks. Your husband had a cough for months, it seemed. Don’t you wonder why for some people (young and old) a cold hangs on for weeks, and for other people, the cold bug rarely takes hold?
What makes our immune cells do their job better sometimes than others? Stress is a big piece. Decades of studies have demonstrated that there is an inverse relationship between stress and a well-functioning immune system. What does that mean? Lower stress, better immune function, generally speaking.
Here are two life skills that might help you and your family prevent common colds:
#1: Learn how to manage stress and it is likely to help your immune system. (See my article in May 2011 issue of HERD, or check our website for resources.)
#2: Take brisk walks. Here’s something new! For many people, a brisk walk most days turns out to be an excellent weapon to prevent getting sick. Researchers at Appalachian State University in North Carolina monitored 1,000 people, ages 18-85, about their health and fitness habits. Surprisingly, those people who exercised five or more times a week had cold symptoms that were much less severe and ended 43-46% sooner than those in people who worked out once or week or not at all.
Taking a family walk is easy and free. It is not too soon to start developing good exercise habits that just might help circulate those magnificent immune cells within you to all corners of your body.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
