A long term moderate exercise programme can reduce the risk of colds among older women, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

In the first randomized clinical trial to investigate researchers from the Frec Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that post- menopausal women who worked out regularly had about half the risk of colds as those who did not exercise.

There has always been this anecdotal evidence, and some small studies, suggesting that with moderate exercise you can improve your community, said Cornelia Ulrich, lead author of the study published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Our study is the first time that a rigorous trial showed that the number of colds can be affected by exercise, she said in an interview.

The study involved 115 over weight, post- menopausal women who had not been exercising before the trial.