Getting colds and infections after running?

[AnnieF]

I've been running since the spring and loving it but I keep having to stop for weeks at a time because of sore throats, colds and coughs. I had a cough in June/ July which turned into a chest infection needing antibiotics. This week I've picked up a cold and slight cough from my daughter so am not running once again. I wonder if running is knocking back my immune system over and over again. I'm 59, weigh 10 stone and am not new to exercise, I've always cycled, walked, swum, gone to the gym anyone have any thoughts? Thanks.

[Oldgirl Graduate]

If you've always been that active I can't see how starting to run will have caused it. Some people are just unlucky with colds etc and having had a chest infection your immune system will have been knocked a bit. I started taking a multivitamin/multimineral called Centrum 50+ for active people, I'm hoping it will help me through the winter, being asthmatic I get chest infections sometimes as many as 4 each winter. I have my fingers crossed that this winter will be kinder to me. Hope you feel better soon. Golden rule is if the infection is above the lower neck its OK to run, if its below then you should rest up and be kind to yourself until its better.

[AnnieF Graduate]

Thank you so much for replying. I have seen Centrum 50+, maybe I'll try some. I do take vitamin C which I find effective and I occasionally take other things like cod liver oil capsules but as I said I have got well and truly fed up with catching colds. There do seem to be some very tenacious viruses about, it seemed as though the whole country was coughing for weeks on end in the spring. With the running, I hate the way a week off puts you back, it takes longer to get the breathing going and my usual run is harder to do. Oh well, I still feel better for it when I manage to run!

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to AnnieF]

My family live in Shropshire and they all have had bad colds and very nasty coughs which have taken weeks if not months to get rid of.