You can't work out if you're sick. Trying to do squats with a runny nose is distracting. Trying to run with a congested head is annoying and painful. And trying to do yoga with a fever isn't the "heat" that the latest trends contemplate!

This season, the colds that are going around (at least in this area) seem to hang around a little longer and have symptoms that are not severe enough to take off work, but are just severe enough to be distracting for the entire day. The congestion keeps your sinuses blocked and your head aching for several weeks, the cough simply lingers on day after day, and your eyes feel tired all the time.

So what can you do about it? There is no cure for the cold. You can load yourself up with medications, but most of these have side effects that may actually be more interfering with your daily life than the cold symptoms! For me - since I rarely take over-the-counter medications and haven't had a prescription medicine in a long long time - even the "non-drowsy" medications make me a little dopey.

Here are 3 methods that I have found to ease cold symptoms, that are not medicine. These also work somewhat for allergies. Flu is very serious and needs a visit to the doctor. Of course, this article is not written by a doctor, and some of my thoughts about the mechanisms described may be totally off base.

1. Zinc tablets. These are tiny tablets, about half the size of my little finger fingernail. Zinc is also added to cough drops, in lesser amounts. The directions say to take one tablet per hour, letting it dissolve slowly in your mouth. This is my miracle solution for the cold! If the symptoms are severe enough, I can actually feel the symptoms being relieved as the zinc dissolves. The key is to take one per hour, every hour, until the symptoms disappear, not simply until they "get better." The tablets are small enough that they don't interfere with your ability to talk and are not noticeable, the way cough drops are.

2. Antiseptic mouthwash. The cough virus enters your body through your mouth and your nose. Using an antiseptic mouthwash cleans out your mouth and throat. It also keeps your palate and throat moisturized, which seems to lessen the ability of the cold virus to land on an exposed surface and begin multiplying.

3. Moisturizer around your eyes. I found this out accidentally, after my wife saw a "makeover" show that emphasized "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!" for men. To accomodate her, I tried putting some non-goofy-smelling lotion around my eyes. Almost immediately, the tiredness that my eyes had been feeling was relieved, and the congestion in my nose cleared up noticeably. The more I used it, the better these symptoms became. I think that keeping the area around the eyes moisturized prevents the cold virus from latching onto dry spots around your eye and irritating your membranes, which triggers an allergic reaction, one consequence of which is congestion. However, make sure the lotion is not strong smelling and does not have strong fumes, or you will end up irritating your eyes in a different way.

This article has suggested 3 unusual methods to ease cold or allergy symptoms, that do not involve either over-the-counter or prescription medications. Getting rid of the symptoms will allow you get back to your regular routine - including your fitness routine - as quickly as possible, which will keep you healthy and strengthen you the next time a cold virus decides to drop in and annoy you!

ERIK CARTER has been weightlifting since high school and practicing karate since college. He maintains a fitness portal at http://fitnessportal.bravehost.com and the "Fitness And Mindness Blog." He also promotes "Complete Sales Package For YOUR Success (http://salespackage.bravehost.com)" and "4 Steps To Success(http://4steps.bravehost.com)," 2 sites designed to help you start or expand any on-line business.