working out when sick

sarahaha

hey guys,
i woke up with a sore throat this morning and i had been planning on an intense gym session. it got me thinking, do i need to cancel my plans? do you guys usually push through the pain or let your body rest? what do you think i should do?

Tips4sale

Good question, I often wonder if we burn more calories when we are sick because our bodies are working to fight infection

thankyou4thevenom

Rest. if your body is fighting a bug it needs to use it's energy sources to fight the bug not work out.

It's the same reason why I don't take paracetamol when sick. A raised temperature is your body's way of fighting the bug. Unless you've got a serious fever why would you stop your body from fighting the bug by lowering your temperature with medication?

ajbeans

The general rule is that if it's above the neck, you can work out if you like. I would probably take it a little easier than normal, but light cardio can help you feel better anyway. If you have a cough or chest congestion though, or body aches, you definitely need to just take a rest day.

lucky48

If it's just a sore throat, you're probably okay to go to the gym, just be considerate of others around you. If you have something like strep throat or something contagious, avoid going so that you don't get others sick. Remember overall that your body is telling you something; if you feel out of breath or anything like that as a result of being sick, don't go.

Also, working out with a fever is never a good idea. Your body increases it's heart rate to try and 1, fight off the infection and 2, to cool your body down. Elevating it further by working out puts added stress on your heart.

NoAdditives

If you feel sick just rest. A sore throat can quickly turn into a full blown cold. Give yourself the time to recover and don't go spread germs at the gym!

getfitdiva

I would gargle w/ some warm salt and water for a sore throat (old school remedy). Then do my workout ;-). After get LOTS of sleep and stay hydrated.

sauza

I almost always work out when I'm 'coming down' w/something and don't get sick, thing is I know w/n minutes of beginning whether or not I should cut back on the usual workout or skip it altogether. It is inconvenient to have to go to the gym to find out the answer to your ?, but I that is exactly what I have to do.

NoAdditives

Silly computer...Making me double post.