Commuting Staves Off H1N1!
#1
The Drive Side is Within
Thread Starter
Commuting Staves Off H1N1!
Of course, I could be presymptomatic at this very moment...
but at the very least, I think that being in good shape from my ~50 miles/week commute has primed my immune system enough to put off getting it.
My son had the seasonal vaccine and has been knocked out since Thursday. So it's probably the dreaded swine flu. My wife, since Friday night. My other little guy seems to be coming down with it, too...
So far so good for me. I've felt like I was fighting something off at several points. Rest + Tea/OJ + Extra Riding - Beer, and I'm still hanging in there!
Ever since I started commuting in February, I've been convinced that it
's benefited my immune system.
Wish me continued luck!
but at the very least, I think that being in good shape from my ~50 miles/week commute has primed my immune system enough to put off getting it.
My son had the seasonal vaccine and has been knocked out since Thursday. So it's probably the dreaded swine flu. My wife, since Friday night. My other little guy seems to be coming down with it, too...
So far so good for me. I've felt like I was fighting something off at several points. Rest + Tea/OJ + Extra Riding - Beer, and I'm still hanging in there!
Ever since I started commuting in February, I've been convinced that it
's benefited my immune system.
Wish me continued luck!
__________________
The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
#2
In the right lane
Hold on there a moment:
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/1...oost-immunity/
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/1...oost-immunity/
In the second experiment, published in the same journal, scientists from the University of Illinois and other schools first infected laboratory mice with flu. One group then rested; a second group ran for a leisurely 20 or 30 minutes, an easy jog for a mouse; the third group ran for a taxing two and a half hours. Each group repeated this routine for three days, until they began to show flu symptoms. The flu bug used in this experiment is devastating to rodents, and more than half of the sedentary mice died. But only 12 percent of the gently jogging mice passed away. Meanwhile, an eye-popping 70 percent of the mice in the group that had run for hours died, and even those that survived were more debilitated and sick than the control group.
#3
The Drive Side is Within
Thread Starter
Hmmm, so the 25 hilly miles I did on my beater Panasonic today was probably not a great idea...? At least I took less than 2.5 hours!
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The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
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There's been a bunch of anecdotal evidence, including myself and friends, that when we're commuting regularly, we either don't get sicknesses that are going around our houses, or symptoms are very light. I think it's a combination of getting the blood pumping and the temperature up in all extremites, plus triggering heavier than normal mucous flow, causing germs to be flushed out before they can really settle in.
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Historically I've always been hit the hardest in my household. However, since regular exercise (including commuting) has become a part of my life, the flu that raged through my house barely got me out of the pedals and I didn't spend a single day in bed this year. Maybe it's coincidental but, for now, it's yet another log on the "keep at it" fire for me.
(It's slow roasting on top of "general sense of well being" "energy" "endurance" "it's tons of fun" and possibly most important of all "lots of positive attention from women.")
(It's slow roasting on top of "general sense of well being" "energy" "endurance" "it's tons of fun" and possibly most important of all "lots of positive attention from women.")
#9
The Drive Side is Within
Thread Starter
I love how there are ads from clorox.com on this thread when I open it up.
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The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
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Well, regular commuting didn't help me so far. I got sick 2 weeks ago and though I no longer have a fever I still have a cough every now and then (but it's going away slowly). I do work with kids and work overnights so I'm sure that doesn't help my situation. Of course I got sick on my days off from work so I didn't commute.
However on a lighter side I had to call the Police last night about one of the kids I work with. After giving him my name and DOB (for the report) he commented how I look a lot younger then him and he's six years younger than me. Perhaps riding a bike is the fountain of youth.
However on a lighter side I had to call the Police last night about one of the kids I work with. After giving him my name and DOB (for the report) he commented how I look a lot younger then him and he's six years younger than me. Perhaps riding a bike is the fountain of youth.
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Given the general panic about H1N1, maybe a plausible rumor that cycling helps fight the bug would encourage more people to get on their bikes.
I've been bike commuting for around three years, and haven't seen any notable changes in the frequency with which I get sick. I still get knocked off the bike for a week or two every winter by some sort of bug. Part of that is just the fact that the longer I've been off the bike, the less I want to go out and slug it through the snow, ice, and slush.
I've been bike commuting for around three years, and haven't seen any notable changes in the frequency with which I get sick. I still get knocked off the bike for a week or two every winter by some sort of bug. Part of that is just the fact that the longer I've been off the bike, the less I want to go out and slug it through the snow, ice, and slush.
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In my case H1N1 staved off my commuting. LOL
I got it about three weeks ago. The vaccine arrived in our area about two weeks ago.
Thankfully I was only out of work a couple of days and back on the bike in about a week. Took another week to get my lungs back.
I got it about three weeks ago. The vaccine arrived in our area about two weeks ago.
Thankfully I was only out of work a couple of days and back on the bike in about a week. Took another week to get my lungs back.
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#14
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I agree that commuting (fresh air, et cetera) improves your immune system and basically your general health.
Though, it does not keep away viri like H1N1.
Though, it does not keep away viri like H1N1.
#15
The Drive Side is Within
Thread Starter
I left work at noon today. 99.8 degrees in the nurse's office (I teach high school).
I feel pretty good, but I'm sure I'm contagious, so I signed out.
So yeah, commuting did delay it, but I did still get a touch of what's going around. Now we'll see if I weather it a little better after going into it with my, um, "commuter superpowers."
I do think that the long weekend ride was what knocked me out, which matches what the NYT article said. The article also confirms my sense that my inflamatory response is not as bad as the rest of my family, at least at this point. Everyone else has a bad cough while I still only have a little tickle in my throat.
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The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. Christopher Morley
Last edited by Standalone; 11-10-09 at 03:05 PM.
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I took the vaccine and now I have autism.
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I've been thinking the same thing even despite using public gyms and pools. Perhaps my high level of fitness and current mix of vitamins are helping me stave off the infections that abound.
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Those studies are ridiculous relative to the headline. They seem to prove that couch potatoes shouldn't start exercising when they think they're about to be sick. Huge surprise there! I want to see a study where mice are put on little tiny bicycles for 45 minutes twice a day for about two years, then exposed to the virus.
I imagine that nobody's daily commute would qualify as overextending themselves, since their bodies are used to it. But taking up a 20 mile commute after years of inactivity...probably shouldn't time that for flu season.
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I take the following whenever I begin to feel under the weather:
1. homemade chicken soup with lots of garlic and cayenne pepper
2. Sambucol
One of the things about commuting that helps, IMO, is the fact that in the cooler weather we tend to launch a lot of snot rockets and blow our nose more often.
1. homemade chicken soup with lots of garlic and cayenne pepper
2. Sambucol
One of the things about commuting that helps, IMO, is the fact that in the cooler weather we tend to launch a lot of snot rockets and blow our nose more often.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
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Of course, I could be presymptomatic at this very moment...
but at the very least, I think that being in good shape from my ~50 miles/week commute has primed my immune system enough to put off getting it.
My son had the seasonal vaccine and has been knocked out since Thursday. So it's probably the dreaded swine flu. My wife, since Friday night. My other little guy seems to be coming down with it, too...
So far so good for me. I've felt like I was fighting something off at several points. Rest + Tea/OJ + Extra Riding - Beer, and I'm still hanging in there!
Ever since I started commuting in February, I've been convinced that it
's benefited my immune system.
Wish me continued luck!
but at the very least, I think that being in good shape from my ~50 miles/week commute has primed my immune system enough to put off getting it.
My son had the seasonal vaccine and has been knocked out since Thursday. So it's probably the dreaded swine flu. My wife, since Friday night. My other little guy seems to be coming down with it, too...
So far so good for me. I've felt like I was fighting something off at several points. Rest + Tea/OJ + Extra Riding - Beer, and I'm still hanging in there!
Ever since I started commuting in February, I've been convinced that it
's benefited my immune system.
Wish me continued luck!
No no no....it's +Beer, in fact, it's + extra beer.
#22
GATC
I think they're trying to get at the difference between 'exercise' for 'health' vs. 'training' to optimize some specific physical function. If you're generally exercising you're likely to be generally healthy, but if you're 'training' hard for some specific function, your general health is not being helped and could be hurt.
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Of course your other symptoms and recent exposure are more telling and those factors with the very slightly higher than normal temp make for a compelling reason to leave work, especially a school.
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It's like any other flu,people don't believe the killer bee/pit bull stories anymore,so now it's this.The media acts like it's going to sweep the world and half the people are going to die,BS! One day something will come along,but this isn't it.
Riding is good for you.
Riding is good for you.
Last edited by Booger1; 11-11-09 at 11:50 AM.