Cold/flu: exercise or not?

ouwho
ouwho Posts: 29
in Health and Weight Loss
It occurred to me that I need to be prepared for how to deal with exercise when it comes to illness (cold/flu). I do use precautions and have had the 4-strain flu immunization, but still, I need to know how others deal with the interruption of the exercise routine. Do you push through and exercise anyways? Gently exercise? Rest and recover, then exercise? What's the best thing to do? I need have a plan.
«1

Replies

  • RaineyLaney
    RaineyLaney Posts: 605 Member
    I wouldn't over do it if your sick. Your body needs to keep what energy it has to get over being sick. If your feeling a bit energetic, then sure, do lighter exercise. Usually though, when you are really sick, you don't feel like doing much of anything, but lay in bed and take little naps between watching TV.
  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
    Just never get ill, that's worked for me for the past couple of years.
  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
    I find this often happens to me. I tend to go to the gym on a daily basis and when I've got a great routine on the go I seem to get a cold (although less now that I eat better) and it seems to bring my exercise to a standstill.
    At first it made me mad but then I thought, wait a minute I enjoy giving my body what it needs and right now it needs rest to get better, and so that's what I did. If I could I would go for a gentle swim or a walk (mainly for fresh air) but that all depends how severe it is. It can be frustrating but I do think if you did get one, rest would be best as it would likely get rid of the illness faster meaning getting back on to exercise quicker! :)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    It depends. The flu, probably take some time off or just do some walking if you feel like it. With a cold I carry on. I wouldn't recommend working out with a fever but otherwise just for it.
  • MissMormie
    MissMormie Posts: 359 Member
    The general advice for runners is to skip the training if you have a fever, and take a break after for as many days as you had that fever. So 3 days with fever is 6 days no running. With a cold or other general not feeling well thing you can exercise but listen to your body in how far you can go.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    If you feel well enough to exercise go for it, but if you're running a fever, chilled, and miserable just stay hydrated and rest until you feel better.
  • lawlorka
    lawlorka Posts: 484 Member
    If its a cold, I just keep going. Actually find a bit of cardio helps sweat it out a bit and makes me feel better.

    I've never had the flu (neither has anyone I've ever met) but if I did, I wouldn't be able to get out of bed with exhaustion and just feeling so bad, so I wouldn't workout then.
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
    If you have flu then you won't be able to exercise, I've only ever had flu once and it just knocks you flat. If you have a cold I guess your body will let you know how much you can do, you really wouldn't want to get too breathless during the snotty snuffly stage that's for sure. Eew, or do anything that tips your head forwards, no push ups.
    Nope, the mental images are too nasty, just don't get sick! :wink:
  • somerisagirlsname
    somerisagirlsname Posts: 467 Member
    Exercise strengthens the immune system, so I'd say definitely keep exercising at the onset of something mild, and exercise through your cold even if you take it down a notch in difficulty. The flu is a different story. It would be really hard to exercise if you have the flu.
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    If I have the flu, I'm to achy to do anything. For a cold, I'd exercise if I physically felt like I could handle it. If I had to exercise around other people, I wouldn't do it bc I wouldn't want to expose them to my cold.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I don't do jack when I'm sick. That's just how I roll. :sick:
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    I've never had the flu (neither has anyone I've ever met)
    Who are you strange people?
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
    I've never had the flu (neither has anyone I've ever met)
    Who are you strange people?
    I don't know but I'd love to find them and join? I work in a school that's a seething mass of germs all winter!
  • jadesdca
    jadesdca Posts: 17 Member
    Flu... absolutely not. Your body needs to put all your energy into recovery.

    Cold... maybe. Sometimes a slightly lighter worker can help speed up recovery and get all the "yuckys" out of your system. However, if your cold is making it really hard to breathe, I'd say give it a day or two. Also, no one likes working out next to the gross, sneezy, shiffley guy. :wink:

    Either way, don't beat yourself up for not working out when sick. Your body can definitely use the recovery time.
  • IanBee93
    IanBee93 Posts: 237 Member
    I had a really BAD cold just over a month ago, and tried to work out. I was too weak and achy to complete more than 3 minutes. Please don't push yourself, and get as much rest as possible, in order to heal quicker
  • lawlorka
    lawlorka Posts: 484 Member
    I've never had the flu (neither has anyone I've ever met)
    Who are you strange people?

    I know plenty of people who have had a bad cold and like call it the 'flu' but nobody who has actually had the flu.

    If they are well enough to be in work/out of the house to tell me they have 'the flu', then they don't have the flu!
  • Mr_Starr
    Mr_Starr Posts: 139 Member
    as with many things it depends... My advise would be to listen to you body, get plenty of rest and sleep so you can recover quickly, and of course stay out of the gym so you don't spread your illness to others.

    Again, I think the advice posted above about resting is the best. But given that for more mild illnesses i have found the following...

    For head colds, and even fevers (as long as the illness has not gone into my chest), I found i actually feel a little better if i continue with some cardio.

    For anything with chest cold, cardio only makes things worse for me (except when i am on path to recovery and the cold/flue is mostly gone). Depending on how i feel, i will take some short walks when i can. It gets me up and moving and at the very least helps me mentally. And with a few short walks (1/2 mile to 1 mile) throughout the day i am always surprised how fast the calorie burns add up.
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    It occurred to me that I need to be prepared for how to deal with exercise when it comes to illness (cold/flu). I do use precautions and have had the 4-strain flu immunization, but still, I need to know how others deal with the interruption of the exercise routine. Do you push through and exercise anyways? Gently exercise? Rest and recover, then exercise? What's the best thing to do? I need have a plan.

    I would say listen to your body. Do what you are able, and don't overdo it. If I feel well enough, I exercise, if I don't, I just rest. Good luck!
  • Jkn922
    Jkn922 Posts: 74
    I'm currently go through a cold and bladder infection and really wanted to exercise today but had to put it off because my abdomen is a little sore. I'll try to get back to it by Wednesday hopefully. Good thing I had a 40 minute walk yesterday so not complete inactivity
  • EHisCDN
    EHisCDN Posts: 480 Member
    I'd say listen to your body. If you feel up to it then try. If not, take the rest your body is telling you it needs. Try not to stress too much about it.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Cold, yes, if your exercise doesn't require close contact with others.

    Flu, no, and you won't really have a choice about it.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    rest.. eat well..

    i had a bug a few weeks ago.. took 5 days off to recover.. came back and hit 3 pr's.
  • harmonyhoran
    harmonyhoran Posts: 48 Member
    If you have energy then I say go for it. If your body feels like shutting down then obviously you need rest. I was literally sick ALL winter and had trouble breathing but once it settled down enough to breathe okay I joined the gym, MFP and havn't looked back. I suppose next time sickness hits me I will have to stay home. No one wants to catch something from a sick person snotty and coughing at the gym :-/
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    I would say cold, yes if you feel up to it, flu not.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    I've never had the flu (neither has anyone I've ever met)
    Who are you strange people?

    People who know the difference between the flu and a cold?
    I used to say I had the flu when I got sick in the winter, then I finally got the flu, and knew that all those previous illnesses were nothing in comparison. They were just bad colds. And I've finally realized that those "spring colds" I get pretty much every year are probably mild seasonal allergies.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    With a cold, just listen to your body. I often find that a light exercise routine actually helps me feel better. It definitely helps my nose to not be stuffed up. But if I am really sick, I rest. For the flu, definitely rest.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    If you have a fever, are vomiting, have diarrhea, have a chest cold, or feel weak, just rest.
    If you just a head cold, and have the energy to exercise, go ahead. If you go to the gym to exercise, please wash your hands before you start and use antibacterial wipes on equipment after you're done.
  • SunKissed1989
    SunKissed1989 Posts: 1,314 Member
    I go with the whole 'listen to your body' philosophy. I've got asthma as well so cold's usually leave me feeling very wheezy and my inhaler is my lifesaver.
    However, last week, I had a cold and somehow managed to do the cancer research 5k race for life at night - it was also very cold, wet and windy (the joys of living in Scotland). Didn't run the whole thing, did most of it power walking but was still a challenge for me.
    But yeah, listen to your body - if you've got muscle aches, skip the workout and let your body recover :smile:
  • manda79rn
    manda79rn Posts: 45 Member
    I think it depends on how sick you are... flu, I wouldn't do it because typically with the flu your body is already depleted of electrolytes and calories so it'd be more taxing to your body than anything which isn't going to help but when I have a cold I always feel better when I sweat it out but that's just me.. and some may say I'm slightly imbalanced but I do have a medical background so you can take my advice for what it is..lol. :)
  • 1pettis2
    1pettis2 Posts: 11
    I pushed through my flu. Seems like exercising made me get over it faster.

Categories