Having a head cold often makes you fatigued and feel like curling in a ball all day. If you’re someone that loves to stay in shape and be active, getting a cold can get you down. You want to workout even though you aren’t feeling very well. We’ve got all you need to know about exercising when you feel under the weather. We’ll tell you when you can get active and when it’s time to relax.
Mild to Moderate Exercise
Mild to moderate exercise isn’t that strenuous on your body. This involves exercise like walking or lifting light weights. If you’re getting out of breath quickly or pushing yourself too far, it’s time to take a break. Your body’s working overtime to get rid of your illness. You need to give it a break by lowering your workout intensity level. If you usually go for a morning run, try walking instead of jogging. Give your body the relaxation it needs to fight off your illness.
If you have symptoms like nasal congestion and a sore throat, you can do a light workout session. If you can push through it without issue, you should be fine. If you are vomiting or have chest congestion and a fever, don’t even think about walking out the door. Get back in bed and let your body heal.
These types of symptoms mean you probably have more than a cold. If you push your body too far, it won’t be able to heal quickly. If you have a severe cold or the flu, you can hurt your immune system by pushing it. This will slow down your recovery and could lead to critical health issues.
Being Active When Sick
If you are down but not out, you can do a few exercises. Low-intensity workouts should not hurt you. These involve exercises like pilates, yoga, walking, riding your bike, and/or swimming. These exercises won’t put enough strain on your body to cause problems.
Stay Away From These Exercises When Under The Weather
Many people don’t even feel like getting out of bed when they’re sick. If you’re sick, you can do some light exercises. There are some exercises you do need to avoid if you’re sick. If you plan on lifting heavy weight, running or doing a spin class, just stay home. These exercises require a lot from you. Your energy level needs to be at peak to do these types of exercises. Machines like treadmills and ellipticals are out of the question. The only way you can get on a treadmill is if you’re just going for a walk.
Listen To Your Body
Always listen to your body. If you’re aching and coughing every step of the way, just sit down. Your workout will always be there as soon as you get better. Many times your body is able to get back in action quickly if it has time to heal. Some people say they actually feel their congestion leveling off after a good workout. It all depends on the type of sickness you have at the time. The main thing is to stay hydrated throughout your workout so your body isn’t losing all of the liquids that it needs to continue to fight off disease.
It’s great to stay active and workout on a consistent basis. The problem is that when you’re sick your body is trying to fight off more illness. If you try to push your body when you have a cold, it might just stop you. You want to get better as quickly as possible so you can get back to your workout.
