do you work out when you have a cold?

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Leesespieces412
Leesespieces412 Posts: 29 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
it might seem like a silly question, but i was curious. i was on a pretty good streak of consistently working out and then i got a cold and i feel like i have no energy when i have a cold. and i figured if i took a break, the cold would go away quicker, rather than running myself into the ground lol. obviously since i'm not working out, i'm making sure i'm eating healthy and a little less. what do you guys think?
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,045 Member
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    Take time off from working out. Your body needs a rest when it is fighting a virus. Eat normally, drink lots of fluids. Call me in the morning. That will be $159.
  • bradwwood
    bradwwood Posts: 371 Member
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    F that, what's the point of killing yourself like that?

    I don't expose my coworkers to my colds either
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
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    just got over a sinus infection. have had them before and knew that in three days i would feel 85% better. so i took the three days off. watched what i ate carefully for those three days. on day four, i planned on doing my normal elliptical workout but wasn't able to make the whole time. got about 3/4 done. on day 5 i wasn't able to work out b/c of my schedule, but felt like i couldve health wise. day 6 i struggled to get my full time on the elliptical in. after that, i was fine.

    i had a pretty long workout streak in me leading up to the infection, so 3 days off was hard to do for me. but worth it. i figured if i pushed it i would've missed a week or more. taking three days really seemed to help me. just my two cents.
  • kjm3579
    kjm3579 Posts: 3,975 Member
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    I have been fighting off congestion and cold symptoms for the past two weeks and kept up my running schedule through it all -- for some strange reason when I run my sinuses open up and I could breath freely for a while.
  • athens1000
    athens1000 Posts: 34 Member
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    I also had a sinus infection, and I did what my body told me to do, which was rest. I finally worked out after four days.

    Dont work out if you feel weak. Its also not cool to bring germs to the gym...
  • arlenem1974
    arlenem1974 Posts: 437 Member
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    When I'm sick I don't do anything and sice I often eat less I might even go into starvation mode on those days.
  • Julicat6
    Julicat6 Posts: 231 Member
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    If you don't want to miss working out all together, pare it back. I don't workout when I feel horrid, but I may try to take a walk if I'm not too sick. Pushing too hard when you are sick can make it take longer to get better. I had a cold right after Thanksgiving, but I didn't feel too bad, just congested so I did still workout some, but couldn't reach my previous intensity level. If you do workout, be kind to the other people at your gym and wipe down the equipment even more carefully than usual.
  • yodakia
    yodakia Posts: 2 Member
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    i never work out when the body needs its energy to be used for other things - like healing, fighting sick critters, etcetera. i even take random breaks every once in a while (like i'll work out consistently for 6 months and take a week off) ...my body seems to appreciate that and is super charged when i start back up again. it's like it shifts a gear into a more efficient machine and responds even better to the work i put in. fell better soOn!
  • brianfmatthews
    brianfmatthews Posts: 22 Member
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    A good rule of thumb is work out if the cold is above the neck, and take the day off if it is below.
  • speedgraphic19
    speedgraphic19 Posts: 36
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    What brianfmatthew said. If I just feel kind of congested but otherwise fine, I'll still go work out. If I have a fever or I feel weak etc., I stay home.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    personally, this year I have not taken a day off for health reasons. Back in September or October I had an asthma flare, but I still walked on the treadmill through it.Unless I really really cannot breathe, I plan on exercising through all my sniffles, etc this winter...
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    You can work out if your 'sickness' is above your shoulders - meaning no coughing and what not because coughing is typically chest (below the shoulders)..... if I just have a little headache or a sore throat or runny nose or something, I typically work out.
  • vincent1959
    vincent1959 Posts: 7
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    I normally get 1-2 colds per season. I am not good with a cold virus. I usually take at least 1-2 days off during the worst of it. Having said that I am fairly healthy for my age. My body just does not do good against that virus.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
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    Yes! I do! It seems my cold duration is shorter when I do...

    It clears my sinuses, so why not?

    *edit to note that I am referring to head cold only* if it's "being sick" with anything other than a head cold, I would not work out.
  • SquidVonBob
    SquidVonBob Posts: 290 Member
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    I'm going through this right now. I haven't been able to work out because bronchitis + exercise = painful asphyxiation.

    MATH IS FUN! :D
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
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    it depends... if i don't feel better after putting something cold on my head/eyes i won't workout.
  • cindl24
    cindl24 Posts: 178
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    I tried to do my yoga workout once after taking some cold medicine. Let's just say it had an effect on the balance and wasn't pretty. I decided at that point that I should just stop and listen to my body, take some time off to get better, and then get back on the exercise wagon again.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
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    If I feel sick, I don't. I've argued this with my husband for years. He pushes himself to do things when sick and will end up feeling sick for a couple weeks, sometimes more. I immediately cut out everything I can and sleep as much as possible and am rarely sick more than 24-48 hours. I think your body needs you to rest so it can attack the virus, germs, whatever it is making you sick.
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
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    depends on how bad the cold. if its enough to call in sick to work/ skip class then yes but if its just a runny nose i find working out makes me feel better
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    For me it depends on how you feel but if you can't tolerate it then taking the time off is the best option. But even if you can tolerate it, still take it slowly & don't overwork your body. I heard that if you suffer anything from your neck & above (ex. colds), you can do lower intensity exercises but if it is below the neck like a cough, fever or other cardiorespiratory illness then it is advised to skip workout temporarily until it gets better.

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