Doing vigorous exercise ‘reduces risk of catching the flu’

Taking part in vigorous exercise – such as running, fast cycling or rugby – cuts the risk of catching flu by around 10 per cent, research suggests.

Doing at least 2.5 hours a week of activity that leads to sweating or hard breathing reduces flu or flu-like illness, the analysis found.

More gentle pursuits, such as walking or light jogging, were found to have little effect.

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Experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined data from its online flu study, Flusurvey.

They found overall flu levels across the UK appear to be down on last year, with the flu season apparently curbed by a lack of illness among children and young people.

Over the winter flu season, 4.7 per cent of people were believed to have flu compared to 6 six per cent the previous year. Some five per cent of children were reported to have flu, compared to almost eight per cent the previous year.

More than 4,800 people have taken part in this year’s Flusurvey so far

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Dr Alma Adler, research fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “We’re really interested in the preliminary findings around fitness activity and flu-like illness, as exercise is something that everyone can do to reduce your chance of having flu.

“We need to treat this result cautiously as these are preliminary findings, however they are consistent with findings for other conditions and really show the health benefits of exercise.

“Although many people have dodged the flu bullet this winter, flu can occur at any time, so taking advantage of the better weather is a great opportunity to get out and get fit to ward off flu this spring.”

The news comes as it is revealed that less than a quarter of people infected with recent flu outbreaks actually showed any symptoms.

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Experts said that almost one in five people were infected in both recent outbreaks of seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. But only 23 per cent of these infections caused symptoms, they said.

A new study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine Journal states that reported cases of flu are “the tip of the iceberg”.

Experts examined the extent of flu burden in England over a five-year period. The Flu Watch study tracked more than 3,000 people across England during six flu seasons between 2006 and 2011.

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