What to Do When You’re Sick and Exercising
Exercising with a Cold or Flu
So, you’ve been consistent with your exercise routine, but then a cold or flu strikes. What should you do? Should you skip the treadmill or give up your pilates class for a late afternoon nap?
The answer depends on what ails you, as experts tell WebMD. Exercising when you’re sick can be tricky, but there are some general guidelines to follow.
Exercising with a Cold
If you have a cold, exercising may be fine, as long as you don’t have a fever. According to Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, a sports medicine expert, having a fever is the limiting factor. Exercising with a fever can make you even sicker, so it’s best to avoid it.
Personal trainer Geralyn Coopersmith adds that if it’s just a little cold and you don’t feel too bad, it’s okay to exercise. However, if you have any bronchial oppression, it’s not advisable to work out.
It’s important to know your limits. If you’re feeling under the weather, consider reducing the intensity of your workout or doing a regenerative activity like yoga or pilates.
Exercising with the Flu
If you have the flu, it’s best to rest. Dr. Neil Schachter advises that if your symptoms are below the neck, such as cough, body aches, and fever, it’s time to hang up the running shoes until these symptoms go away.
Recovery Time
An uncomplicated cold should go away completely in about seven days, while the flu can make you feel pretty bad for 10 days to two weeks. It’s important to listen to your body and give it the rest it needs to recover.
The Benefits of Exercise in Preventing Illness
While exercising when you’re sick can be a challenge, regular exercise can actually help boost your body’s natural defenses against illness and infection. Thirty minutes of regular exercise three to four times a week has been shown to boost immunity by increasing levels of T cells, which are one of the body’s first defenses against infections.
Avoiding Infection at the Gym
If you do decide to exercise when you’re sick, it’s important to consider others at the gym. Check with your doctor before going to a gym or exercise class, and if there’s any chance you’re contagious, skip public workouts to help protect others.
Dr. Schachter recommends the value of proper handwashing to prevent the spread of germs, especially in a gym environment. It’s crucial to wash hands before and after using gym equipment and to carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer for added protection.
Summary
In summary, exercising when you’re sick can be a tricky decision. While it may be okay to exercise with a cold, it’s best to rest if you have the flu. It’s important to listen to your body and know your limits. Regular exercise can help boost immunity, but intense training sessions can reduce immunity. If you do decide to exercise while sick, it’s essential to consider others and take preventive measures to avoid spreading germs.
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You've been very good with your new exercise routine and have rarely missed a day since you started again. Then, suddenly, a cold or flu hits you.
What should you do? Should you skip the treadmill or give it up? pilates class for a late afternoon nap? Will it be difficult to start over if you skip a day or two?
The answer depends on what ails you, experts tell WebMD. For example, exercising if you have a cold may be fine, but if you have a fever, going to the gym is a definite no-no.
Fever is the limiting factor, says Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, a sports medicine expert based in New York City. “The danger is exercising and raising your body temperature internally if you already have a fever, because that can make you even sicker,” he tells WebMD. If you have a fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit, do not participate.
Maharam's general rule for exercising when sick? “Do what you can and if you can't, don't do it,” he says. “Most people who are fit tend to feel worse if they stop exercising, but if you have a bad case of flu and you can't lift your head off the pillow, then you probably don't want to go for a run around the block.
Personal trainer and exercise physical therapist Geralyn Coopersmith, senior director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute in New York, adds: “The general rule of thumb is that if it's just a little cold and you take a little bit of medicines and don't feel too bad, it's okay to exercise. But if you have any bronchial oppression, it is not advisable to be working out“.
You really need to know your limits, he says. “If you're feeling a little under the weather, you might want to consider walking instead of running. Reduce the intensity or do a regenerative activity like yoga either pilates because if you're not feeling well, it may not be the best day to do your sprints,” says Coopersmith, author of Fit and feminine: the perfect fitness and Nutrition Game plan for your unique body type.
“A neck check is a way to determine your activity level during a respiratory illness,” adds Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of respiratory care at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. “If your symptoms are above the neck, including a sore throatnasal congestion, sneezingand tearing eyesthen it's okay to exercise,” he says. “If your symptoms are below the neck, like coughbody aches, fever and fatiguethen it's time to hang up the running shoes until these symptoms go away.”
An uncomplicated cold in an adult should go away completely in about seven days, says Schachter, author of The good doctor's guide to Colds and Flu.
TO flu that develops complications such as bronchitis either sinusitis It can last two weeks, he says. “The symptoms of cough and congestion can persist for weeks if untreated.” In general, the flu, even if it has no complications, can make you feel pretty bad for 10 days to two weeks.
The best way to avoid the problem is to not get sick in the first place.
Exercise in general can help boost the body's natural defenses against illness and infection, Schachter says. “Thirty minutes of regular exercise three to four times a week has been shown to boost immunity by increasing levels of T cells, which are one of the body's first defenses against infections. However, intense 90-minute training sessions minutes like those performed by elite athletes. It can actually reduce immunity.
It's one thing if you decide to exercise when you're sick, but how do you avoid infecting other people at the gym? What if they are the ones who exercise with a cold?
Before going to a gym or exercise class, check with your doctor. If there is any chance you are contagious, skip public workouts to help protect others.
Don't count on other people having done the same.
“The value of handwashing It can't be overstated,” says Schachter. “I recommend handwashing before and after going to the bathroom, before meals, after using public transportation, and after returning home from school or work.
Also carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your gym bag to use when you realize you have come into contact with someone who is sneezing either cough.
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