UW Study Wonders: Can Exercise or Even Meditation Ward Off the Flu?

George Hagenauer, who has been under a lot of stress, is meditating.

Laura Calandrino, not a fan of regular exercise, is power walking.

The Madison-area residents are among 150 people in a UW-Madison study asking if meditation or exercise can ward off colds and the flu.

The research is especially relevant this fall as swine flu levels have soared before enough vaccine against the H1N1 virus is available, leaving millions of Americans wondering how to stay healthy. The seasonal flu vaccine also is in short supply.

Scientists know meditation reduces stress and exercise can prevent chronic diseases. But they don't know if either activity makes the immune system better able to fight respiratory infections, said Dr. Bruce Barrett, a UW Health family physician heading up the research. (More)

Source: Wisconsin State Journal