University of Wisconsin Meditation & Exercise Cold Study

Inclusion Criteria

• Aged 30-69 years at study entry.
• Must answer "Yes" to either "Have you had at least 2 colds in the last 12 months?" and/or "On average do you get at least 1 cold per year?"
• Prospective participants must meet the American Heart Association guidelines for suitability for an exercise program. Prospective participants will be advised (but not required) to seek their physicians' advice before enrollment.
• Self-reported ability and willingness to follow through with either exercise or meditation training, or neither, according to randomized allocation, and to participate in blood draws, nasal wash, self-report questionnaires, and weekly monitoring for 9 months.
• A score of 14 or lower on the PHQ-9 depression screen, self-reported both at entrance to run-in trial and again just prior to enrollment in the main study.
• Fluency and literacy in English language sufficient for understanding the study protocol and completing questionnaires.
• Successful completion of tasks during run-in period, including 2 in-person appointments, 1 phone contact, 1 set of homework questionnaires, and baseline nasal wash and blood draw.

Exclusion Criteria

• Current or recent use of meditative practice, or previous meditation training. Assessed by answering "Yes" to any of the following questions: Do you meditate on a regular basis? In the last year, have you meditated at least weekly for 2 or more months in a row? Have you ever been trained in meditation? Have you ever been involved in a mindfulness class or mindfulness practice?
• Potential participants must not engage in moderate exercise more than twice per week or vigorous exercise more than once per week, as assessed by the following questions adapted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) classification system: On average, how many times per week do you engage in moderate recreational activities such as walking, tennis doubles, ballroom dancing, weight training, or similar activities that last at least 20 minutes per occasion? A) Less than 1 time per week; B) 1 time per week; C) 2 times per week; D) 3 times per week; E) >4 times per week. How many times per week do you engage in vigorous sport and recreational activities such as jogging, swimming, cycling, singles tennis, aerobic dance or other similar activities lasting at least 20 minutes per occasion? A) Less than 1 time per week; B) 1 time per week; C) 2 times per week; D) 3 or more times per week.
• Women who are pregnant at screening or plan to become pregnant during the course of the study (determined by self-report) will be excluded. Women who become pregnant any time during the course of the trial will not be dropped and will continue to be followed throughout the duration of the study.
• Physical, medical or mental condition(s) precluding adherence to study protocol. Conditions include: malignant disease (prospective participants' physicians to advise and Dr. Barrett, and/or designee Dr. Rakel or Dr. Muller, to make final decision); and function-impairing psychopathology (prospective participants' psychiatrist or psychologist to advise). Questionable cases will be reviewed by the study physicians.
• True contraindication for influenza vaccine (flu shots) or refusal to accept influenza vaccine. Subjects will be asked to verify they have a) no known egg allergy, b) no prior reaction to influenza vaccine, and c) never been told they have Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
• Current use or forecasted need for immunoactive drugs (eg. steroids, immunosuppressants, chemotherapy); nonsteroidal antiinflammatories will be allowed.
• Immune deficiency or auto-immune disease (eg. HIV/AIDS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease). Questionable cases will be reviewed by study physicians.