Do you exercise when you're not 100%?

angiemartin78

I have been told by certain people in the medical field that if you have a cold/sore throat/sinus infection that you shouldn't exercise. That you need to let your body rest so that it can fully recover from whatever minor illness that you may have. What are your thoughts on this? If you have any of the above listed illnesses, do you exercise?

My throat is sore and I really want/need to workout today. I missed yesterday because something came up and I don't want to miss today as well.

Thanks guys!

The best of luck to all on this journey :happy:

FORIANN

Everyone is different. I've exercised with a pinched nerve in my back and shin splints in the last month. On those days I go light....but I find going puts me in great spirits and makes me feel good. If you can come up with some low impact and non stressful exercise to get a light sweat going I think you'll feel better. This is just me though...depending on what's wrong with you total rest might be the best solution. Take it easy regardless though and best of luck to you.

UponThisRock

How do you define 100%? Many people would never workout if they held to that standard.

I workout If I feel good enough to workout.

HeidiMightyRawr

Unless I'm so ill I don't want to get out of bed (and would probably infect loads of people at the gym I was coughing so much) then I wouldn't workout.

A regular mild cold, sore throat, and all the rest of it, yes I would still workout.

mrdee555

Unless I'm so ill I don't want to get out of bed (and would probably infect loads of people at the gym I was coughing so much) then I wouldn't workout.

A regular mild cold, sore throat, and all the rest of it, yes I would still workout.

THIS

DQMD

Well just a sinus issue..yeah I will workout.

I full blown chest cold where I hack up a lung and half. NO..I stay home. I get bronchitis way to easy so staying home and resting is more important.

jenhowse1

If I can still drag myself out of bed I will train - If I would go to work then I can do something.
But I would change my training plans - If I had some flat out 500m sprint intervals planned, I wouldn't do it but change to some steady lower intensity distance instead.

UpEarly

When I was in my early 20's I was a gym rat (probably an exercise bulimic). I worked out 2-3 hours a day, every day - even when I was sick.

Then I got a horrible chest cold. I pushed through the sickness and continued training even though I felt like crap. I ended up with myocarditis. It turned out that exercising hard while I was sick ended up damaging my heart muscle. I ended up sidelined for *months*.

That was actually the wake-up call that prompted me to confront my exercise obsession and overtraining.

Now, when I'm sick I either take a total rest day or go for a short, easy walk or do some gentle stretching.

knapowell

If I am on my own outside of the gym, I will usually workout unless I feel really crappy. I will not go to the gym if I am sick, as I don't want to pass on anything to anyone else. I hate when the person next to me is coughing and sneezing the whole time, so I don't want to be that person.

I have a few times where I did make a sinus infection worse by running, and then had to take a few extra days off. If you are really worried about it, take a rest day, and get back to it tomorrow.

DizzyLinds

Unless I'm so ill I don't want to get out of bed (and would probably infect loads of people at the gym I was coughing so much) then I wouldn't workout.

A regular mild cold, sore throat, and all the rest of it, yes I would still workout.

THIS

Agree number 2

Chagama

I've read that not exercising will not help you recover any faster from a cold, sore throat, etc. So, I exercise as long as I can move and breathe. As others have noted, I don't think I'm ever 100%, with four kids in the house we are always fighting something.

teagin2002

Unless I'm so ill I don't want to get out of bed (and would probably infect loads of people at the gym I was coughing so much) then I wouldn't workout.

A regular mild cold, sore throat, and all the rest of it, yes I would still workout.

^^ this, I have a minor cold now with some phlegm and a light runny nose. I will go and workout and then feel wonderful.
Sometimes if I feel bad enough I will focus on cardio just to get me sweating. That way I can get my blood flowing and help my body fight that infection.

Hope you feel better soon :flowerforyou:

angiemartin78

Thanks guys! I appreciate all of the responses.

thefuzz1290

The general consensus from most fitness nuts is: If the symptoms are limited above the neck, exercise, but if they're below the neck (deep cough and chest congestion) then don't.

ahealthy4u

I try to if I can't I don't I don't want to push myself and be worse off then what I am.