Early on during a backpacking trip a couple weeks ago I felt a cold coming on. Pulling my clogged-up and sniffling self out of the tent the second morning into a mid-30 degree chill, I thought I was going to have to pull the plug on my adventure. “If I can just make it to Hot Springs,” I told myself, “I can make it back to the car.”

But a funny thing happened once I’d broken camp, packed up and was headed down the trail — I felt instantly better. My nose stopped running, my head cleared and my throat, thanks no doubt to a steady stream of mentholated cough drops, was no longer sensitive to every cold breath. I wasn’t cured, but I was confident I’d have no trouble getting the 7 miles down the trail to Hot Springs. And when I pulled into the classic Appalachian Trail town around noon, I had little doubt that I could continue on another 7 miles to Rich Mountain. It was one of the best days I’ve had on the trail. I climbed well, made good time, had more than enough strength for a couple side trips. Cold? What cold?

The one the one that would re-establish itself overnight. But again, the next day the pattern repeated: Once I hit the trail I felt dandy. And so it went for the next four days as I covered about 60 miles on the AT and in the Smokies: Healthy by moving day, a poster child for Nyquil come night. Which obviously got me to wondering: Was mom wrong? Does the common cold actually respond better to staying active than to bedrest?

“Physical activities help us in all sorts of ways that we don’t understand, says Dr. Donald C. Spencer, a professor of family medicine with the UNC Healthcare System. Spencer says exercise is part of his prescription for a slew of maladies, from depression to hypertension. As for colds, though:

“I’ve never seen any scientific experiments that document feeling better during periods of activity but it wouldn’t surprise me.  There’s a lot about the human body we physicians don’t understand … .”

Dr. John Holly, with Wake Specialty Physicians, offers a similar take. “I don’t think there is any data confirming [this] theory.” However … .

“I sometimes think similarly and will try to run out or sweat out a cold.  It is hard to recommend this to patients without data and who have varying degrees of medical problems that may make them worse if they try to increase their activity while sick.”

The American College of Sports Medicine doesn’t have data on how exercise affects you after you catch cold, but it does say that exercise has been proven to help people from catching one. According to the ACSM, “multiple studies have shown a 25- to 50-percent decrease in sick time for active people completing at least 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as walking) most days of the week.”

Adds Dr. David C. Nieman with the ACSM: “This reduction in illness far exceeds anything a drug or pill can offer. All it takes is a pair of walking shoes to help prevent becoming one of the thousands predicted to suffer from the common cold this winter.”

If you catch cold and opt to work(out) through it, the ACSM offers these guidelines:

• DO exercise if your cold is confined to your head (runny nose, sore throat, etc.).
• DON’T overdo it. If you have a cold, keep exercise to a moderate-intensity level (i.e., walking). Studies have not shown any negative effects of moderate exercise for those suffering from common colds.
• DO stay in bed if your illness is “systemic” – that is, beyond just the sniffles of a regular cold. Respiratory infections, fever, swollen glands and extreme aches and pains are all good reasons to rest up instead of work out.
• DON’T jump back in too soon. If you’re recovering from a more serious bout of cold or flu, gradually ease back into training after at least two weeks of rest.

(Nieman also suggests exercising prior to receiving a flu shot. “Moderate-intensity exercise just before getting the shot has been shown to improve the body’s response to the vaccine, boosting immunity.”)

If you have doubts about whether you’re suffering a simple head cold or something systemic, call your doctor. Chances are you can get a ruling from the nurse on call.