"People who exercise five or more times a week get fewer and less severe colds than those who work out one or fewer times a week, said Dr. David Nieman, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University in North Carolina."

So reports TodayHealth on the MSNBC website. The story adds, " ;The most powerful weapon someone has during cold season,’ Nieman told MyHealthNewsDaily, ‘is to go out, on a near-daily basis, and put in at least a 30-minute brisk walk.’ "

The survey studied 1,000 people, ages 18 to 85.

According to the article, "The researchers found the length of time cold symptoms lasted was shorter by 43 percent to 46 percent in people who worked out five or more times a week, compared with people who worked out once a week or never."