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Working out while sick.
Replies
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Serious question. At the gym there are generally all sort of wipes one can use to clean off equipment, not so in the real world.
For all those saying stay home from the gym so you don't spread germs do you stay away from handholds on public transportation, elevator buttons, credit card styluses/buttons, etc while sick so as not to spread germs?
At the height of flu season last year, my hospital had disposable paper masks at every station with signs for people who were coughing to please use them.2 -
I started feeling a sore throat on Friday but I went to the gym anyway. Saturday, same thing. Sunday, same thing. I did make sure to not touch my nose before touching anything else, though I clean the equipment (even dumbbells and barbells) before and after. Never turned into a full-blown cold so I'm glad I didn't skip the gym because of a sore throat.
I think it depends on the severity. Not for yourself, but for others. If you're coughing and sneezing definitely keep your germs to yourself! Obviously if you're feeling terrible you should stay home and rest.4 -
Not chips for me, though still craving unnatural high calorie foods while a steak wouldn't do.. trying to ignore and "whisper" to the body it's not hunger but a unhealthy craving..
Trying to listen, but needing to log to stay accountable.
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Serious question. At the gym there are generally all sort of wipes one can use to clean off equipment, not so in the real world.
For all those saying stay home from the gym so you don't spread germs do you stay away from handholds on public transportation, elevator buttons, credit card styluses/buttons, etc while sick so as not to spread germs?
So just saying here...for the typical cold/flu deal, the germs are getting spread by secretions. Which obviously aren't IN our hands, just get ON our hands and/or spread around in the air when we cough, touch our mouth or nose, etc...
Entire societies (sadly not most western ones) actually encourage people to not spread germs when they are sick by staying home or wearing protective face gear. Because a lot of these folks view it as tremendously rude and inconsiderate to knowingly spread our illness to all our neighbors and our community.
Note all the face masks in many Asian countries, as a great example, that a person usually wears if they are sick and still need to go out or go to work.1 -
There's nothing wrong with working out while sick if your breathing isn't compromised or you have a fever.
Exercising with a fever can aggravate the fever, which isn't good. Also, it's not polite to go to the gym and expose hundreds or thousands of people.2 -
Listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs.
Lol! My body is a big fat liar. When I listen to it, it says I need to eat chips and ice cream and lay around on the couch.
To answer the OP's question, it's a matter of energy level and severity. If I'm just a little under the weather, I go for it. If I've got a heavy cold or something similar, I rest and let my body recover. I am also conscious of not wanting to spread my germs around the gym.
Listen to your brain than.
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Well I am not sure about this statement; Glad you mentioned at the end that everybody is different. Glad this works for you but it would have been helpful that this is you personal opinion and what works for you at the startraven56706 wrote: »There are two sides to this.
• Pro Working out- If you work out, your body will feel energized and keep you positive while being sick
- You will sweat out the germs
- Unless you have a fever, you can workout at anytime
- Sinus infections and other sicknesses, while not severe, need the body’s energy to fight off the sickness.
- Your body needs to rest.
- Most over the counter meds and prescription ones will affect your body’s performance at the gym
Obviously everyone is different but where do you stand on this topic?
Firstly germs? Are they bacteria, viruses chemicals what? But whatever you don't sweat them out. You are contagious through your airways (breath) and mucus, contagious stuff. This in turn will make you possibly contagious for skin to skin contact (for instance blowing your nose) You end up giving your immune system possibly a boost that helps to get rid of them possibles, but you do not sweat them out.
For me the rule is the neck rule: Anything just above the neck sick - I can work out taking into account that I am not going for a top performance. So scale back. It should be noted that for me a workout is a run or a long walk in such a case. I am not going to any gym or enclosed exercise environment and in the past have not attended when I was contagious. Meds or no meds, simply not going to spread. But being active outdoors has a positive effect on my well being I even go for a walk if I have a mild fever.
Under the neck meaning my chest is affected and or may whole body I am off totally off and indoors. But that is only when I have a flu (and not a bad cold that is completely different, different viruses too)
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The body needs rest, and you don't want to spread germs, so I say take a couple days off1
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Serious question. At the gym there are generally all sort of wipes one can use to clean off equipment, not so in the real world.
For all those saying stay home from the gym so you don't spread germs do you stay away from handholds on public transportation, elevator buttons, credit card styluses/buttons, etc while sick so as not to spread germs?
As a matter of fact, yes, I do stay home if I am sick. Did the same during my 45 year working life, too - was sick twice in all that time. I know that's not a choice for most folks, but, when sick, one should NOT go to public places unless absolutely necessary - for medications fits, going to the gym (or McDonald's, town hall, etc.) doesn't.
And most public places DO have germicidal wipes available for patrons, these days. Yet, people still manage to pass and contract colds and flu. Although physical contact with a contaminated surface is the most common method of passing a cold or flu bug to someone else, airborne bacteria and viruses account for quite a few new cases every day. All one has to do is breath in a couple of those nasty bugs for them to take another victim.
If one is sick - cold, flu or other seasonal and other mostly contagious ilnesses - work out at home if you feel up to it.
One can NOT sweat out bacteria or viruses to induce a cure or shorten the illness. But one can sweat out enough to to make other people sick, too. Perspiration is a body fluid. Another reason to stay away from the gym until better.
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raven56706 wrote: »There are two sides to this.
• Pro Working out- If you work out, your body will feel energized and keep you positive while being sick
- You will sweat out the germs
- Unless you have a fever, you can workout at anytime
- Sinus infections and other sicknesses, while not severe, need the body’s energy to fight off the sickness.
- Your body needs to rest.
- Most over the counter meds and prescription ones will affect your body’s performance at the gym
Obviously everyone is different but where do you stand on this topic?
Why does this post have 2 disagrees? MPF should get rid of this button. There are too many psychos on the internet for this to be useful. I’m sure I’ll get a few disagree hits from trolls that have no life for saying this... Let’s watch...1 -
That's a no from me, dawg. If I'm sick, I won't work out because it makes me feel like death.1
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allother94 wrote: »raven56706 wrote: »There are two sides to this.
• Pro Working out- If you work out, your body will feel energized and keep you positive while being sick
- You will sweat out the germs
- Unless you have a fever, you can workout at anytime
- Sinus infections and other sicknesses, while not severe, need the body’s energy to fight off the sickness.
- Your body needs to rest.
- Most over the counter meds and prescription ones will affect your body’s performance at the gym
Obviously everyone is different but where do you stand on this topic?
Why does this post have 2 disagrees? MPF should get rid of this button. There are too many psychos on the internet for this to be useful. I’m sure I’ll get a few disagree hits from trolls that have no life for saying this... Let’s watch...
Perhaps there are disagrees because "you will sweat out the germs" is absolutely not a thing.9 -
It depends on what kind of sickness it is. It's not a one-size-fits-all proclamation.
Fever? Definitely don't work out. Rest.
Respiratory symptoms? Try if you feel up to it and adjust your effort based on your respiratory response.
Mild cold? You might feel up to something gentle but you're still probably better off not going for a personal best that day.
And like others have said, keep your illness home or outdoors to work out if you feel up to it. Nobody at the gym wants that.2 -
Currently recovering from pneumonia. Up until today I didn't have the energy to work out, and the coughing until I was dizzy would have prevented it anyway. If I have a head cold, I'm still usually up for working out. As others have said, it's individual based on what the illness is, and how the person is feeling at the time.2
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Serious question. At the gym there are generally all sort of wipes one can use to clean off equipment, not so in the real world.
For all those saying stay home from the gym so you don't spread germs do you stay away from handholds on public transportation, elevator buttons, credit card styluses/buttons, etc while sick so as not to spread germs?
If you must leave the house when sick (even for minor colds), carry hand sanitizer and use it frequently.0 -
Don't work out when you are sick unless you are an elite athlete with a cold, in which case do a very light workout only.
FWIW, during the 1918 flu pandemic, the people who went home immediately when they were sick survived, the ones who tried to work through their first day of illness are the ones who died.
We're likely to have a coronavirus pandemic soon, which will have a lower death rate than the 1918 flu. For most people it will be like having the flu and they'll recover just fine. But don't push your luck.
(PS: 'pandemic' doesn't mean the illness has to be severe, it just means a lot of people will catch it at the same time because there's no existing immunity in the population. That translates to disruptions of supply chain etc. that can be a nuisance and if you aren't expecting them, could be scary or leave you stranded on the throne without any toilet paper.)0 -
Don't work out when you are sick unless you are an elite athlete with a cold, in which case do a very light workout only.
FWIW, during the 1918 flu pandemic, the people who went home immediately when they were sick survived, the ones who tried to work through their first day of illness are the ones who died.
We're likely to have a coronavirus pandemic soon, which will have a lower death rate than the 1918 flu. For most people it will be like having the flu and they'll recover just fine. But don't push your luck.
(PS: 'pandemic' doesn't mean the illness has to be severe, it just means a lot of people will catch it at the same time because there's no existing immunity in the population. That translates to disruptions of supply chain etc. that can be a nuisance and if you aren't expecting them, could be scary or leave you stranded on the throne without any toilet paper.)
What is the source of that information about the 1918 flu pandemic? I wasn't aware we had such detailed information about work habits and death rates.2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Don't work out when you are sick unless you are an elite athlete with a cold, in which case do a very light workout only.
FWIW, during the 1918 flu pandemic, the people who went home immediately when they were sick survived, the ones who tried to work through their first day of illness are the ones who died.
We're likely to have a coronavirus pandemic soon, which will have a lower death rate than the 1918 flu. For most people it will be like having the flu and they'll recover just fine. But don't push your luck.
(PS: 'pandemic' doesn't mean the illness has to be severe, it just means a lot of people will catch it at the same time because there's no existing immunity in the population. That translates to disruptions of supply chain etc. that can be a nuisance and if you aren't expecting them, could be scary or leave you stranded on the throne without any toilet paper.)
What is the source of that information about the 1918 flu pandemic? I wasn't aware we had such detailed information about work habits and death rates.
In fairness, I sometimes feel work will be the death of me...
(no actual study on this just an occasional sense of impending doom)1 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Don't work out when you are sick unless you are an elite athlete with a cold, in which case do a very light workout only.
FWIW, during the 1918 flu pandemic, the people who went home immediately when they were sick survived, the ones who tried to work through their first day of illness are the ones who died.
We're likely to have a coronavirus pandemic soon, which will have a lower death rate than the 1918 flu. For most people it will be like having the flu and they'll recover just fine. But don't push your luck.
(PS: 'pandemic' doesn't mean the illness has to be severe, it just means a lot of people will catch it at the same time because there's no existing immunity in the population. That translates to disruptions of supply chain etc. that can be a nuisance and if you aren't expecting them, could be scary or leave you stranded on the throne without any toilet paper.)
What is the source of that information about the 1918 flu pandemic? I wasn't aware we had such detailed information about work habits and death rates.
In fairness, I sometimes feel work will be the death of me...
(no actual study on this just an occasional sense of impending doom)
Sometimes getting out of work does feel like a matter of life or death.
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janejellyroll wrote: »Don't work out when you are sick unless you are an elite athlete with a cold, in which case do a very light workout only.
FWIW, during the 1918 flu pandemic, the people who went home immediately when they were sick survived, the ones who tried to work through their first day of illness are the ones who died.
We're likely to have a coronavirus pandemic soon, which will have a lower death rate than the 1918 flu. For most people it will be like having the flu and they'll recover just fine. But don't push your luck.
(PS: 'pandemic' doesn't mean the illness has to be severe, it just means a lot of people will catch it at the same time because there's no existing immunity in the population. That translates to disruptions of supply chain etc. that can be a nuisance and if you aren't expecting them, could be scary or leave you stranded on the throne without any toilet paper.)
What is the source of that information about the 1918 flu pandemic? I wasn't aware we had such detailed information about work habits and death rates.
This is 100% conjecture on my part, but if I were a researcher interested in this info I think I would look at military records. There were a lot of men in arms at the time the pandemic struck, and if you compared outcomes for individuals who reported for sick call, were cleared for duty for that day, and in the next day or two were diagnosed with the flu to outcomes for individuals who reported for sick call and were not cleared for duty and were diagnosed with the flu in the next day or two, you might be able to determine if there were statistical differences between outcomes (of course, ruling out whether those not cleared for duty simply were getting better, more proactive health care might not be so easy, but I would think that the records would initially have contained info on treatment -- no idea how much of that would have been preserved for 100 years).0
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