You’ve been keeping up with your workouts on a very regular basis, to the point that you haven’t missed a single day and you’re feeling very proud of yourself. But then it happens…you catch a cold. Or maybe it is the flu. Either way, as lousy as you feel, you may be wondering if you should exercise when you’re sick. After all, the last thing you want to do is to fall behind on your workouts if you don’t have to.
What should you do? Are Pilates and daily walks suddenly out of the question because your nose is stuffy or you’re feeling under the weather?
Whether or not you should exercise when you’re sick is one of the most common fitness questions that people ask, especially when winter is creeping closer.
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as simple as “yes” or “no”. According to most doctors, whether or not you should exercise when you’re sick depends on what kind of illness is getting you down. For instance, if you’ve caught a cold, you should be fine if you dress properly and head out for a brisk walk. That said, if you’re running a fever, give the spin class a miss, this time.
When it comes to symptoms that can stop you from exercising when you’re ill, fever is the big one. The reason is that your workout will increase your internal body temperature even higher than it already is as a result of the fever. This can make you even more sick. The rule of thumb should be that if your fever hits 101 degrees or higher, you should consider yourself benched.
If you don’t have a fever and you choose to exercise despite the fact that you’re sick, then you should do only as much as you feel you can. If you think you can get through a certain exercise or activity, then go for it, but if you discover that it’s just not working, then give it a rest. Most people who are regularly active find that their illness feels even worse if they stay off their feet the whole time. Still, if you’re exhausted, dragging and unmotivated, then try to keep things light if you insist on exercising. For example, instead of a run, go for a brisk walk and go only the distance that feels right for you.
As a final point, be considerate of others when you’re heading out with a cold or the flu. You may think it’s not a huge deal to hit the gym to exercise when you’re sick, but other gym members might not appreciate the fact that you’re spreading your germs. If you must work out at the gym, keep an alcohol-based sanitizer handy and use it regularly. Wipe every surface when you’re done and if the exercises are making you cough or sneeze, hit the showers and head home.
