Cold and Flu Defense

A daily regimen of exercise or meditation can help defend against colds and flu.
 Research in the Annals of Family Medicine found that people who worked out for 45 minutes every day decreased the number of illnesses they contracted by 40 to 50 percent. Compare that to the flu vaccine, which lowers one’s risk of infection by 50 to 60 percent, and you get a sense of just how effective exercise may be at warding off illness.

People who practiced mindfulness meditation, yoga and/or stretching for 45 minutes a day reaped almost as much protection.