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The healthier you are, the better your body is at fending off respiratory infections — and regular exercise is a key part of the equation. But things get tricky in the fall and winter months when cold, flu and other viruses are likely to be circulating in your gym or fitness center.
“You have to weigh the benefits of exercise against the risks of actually getting infected from the gym itself,” says Scott Roberts, M.D., assistant professor of infectious diseases at Yale School of Medicine and associate medical director of infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health.
The good news is that fitness facilities aren’t the worst place for picking up nasty infections, Roberts says. “Certainly it’s less risky than being in a household or sharing a cubicle with somebody who has COVID, for example, where there's a more prolonged degree of continuous exposure and an infection can overwhelm your immune system,” he says.
Regardless, it pays to take precautions. “You need multiple strategies to reduce your risk,” Roberts says.
Here are seven tips for staying healthy while getting healthy during respiratory virus season.
1. Update your vaccines
Vaccination is the most important way to protect yourself from unwelcome respiratory viruses, health experts say. “It’s the most effective tool for preventing or spreading infection,” Roberts says. Although vaccines can’t guarantee you won’t get sick, they lessen the severity of illness and help keep you out of the hospital.
For your best defense, get an annual flu shot and the most current COVID vaccine. The pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against the bacteria that can cause pneumonia, is now recommended for adults 50 and older. And don’t forget about the newer RSV (short for respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine, which is recommended for people 75 and older, or those 60 to 74 with high-risk conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, or a weakened immune system.
2. Know your enemy
Respiratory viruses are transmitted in different ways. “COVID spreads mostly through respiratory droplets and aerosols that form when somebody breathes hard or exercises,” Roberts says. Colds, flu and RSV are mostly contracted by touching contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches and gym equipment, for instance.
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