Strong Muscles, Fewer Colds?

Strength training, it seems, beefs up more than just muscles: A new study shows that pumping iron can toughen your immune system, too.

Until now, improved immunity was thought to be a fringe benefit only of aerobic exercise like running or cycling. But researchers at Acadia University in Nova Scotia found out differently when they recruited 32 retirees to participate in an 11-month strength training program. The participants used elastic bands along with exercise balls for 30 minutes a day, three times a week. At the end of the study, lab tests showed that their natural killer cells—the first line of defense against infectious invaders—got better at warding off infection.

The proof was in the payoff: The participants reported fewer bouts of illness during the winter.

Enter a comment related to this article

---