Summary Meditation can be extremely effective at preventing winter ailments like cold and flu, says study.
Adults who meditated or did moderately intense exercise, such as a brisk walk, for eight weeks suffered fewer colds than those who did nothing.
The new study divided 149 people into three groups. One performed mindful meditation, a type of meditation that essentially involves focusing the mind on the present, the Daily Mail reported. Another group jogged regularly for eight weeks while the third group did nothing.
The researchers then followed the health of the volunteers through the winter from September to May, although they didn`t check whether or not people carried on exercising or meditating after the eight?week period.
The participants were observed for cold and flu symptoms such as a runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing, and sore throat. Nasal wash samples were collected and analysed three days after the symptoms began.
The study, found that meditators missed 76 per cent fewer days of work from September through to May than those who did nothing. Those who had exercised missed 48 per cent fewer days during this period.
In addition, mindful meditation can reduce the duration or severity of acute respiratory infections such by up to 50 per cent, and exercise by up to 40 per cent.
