Any reason not to exercise with a cold?

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Mr_Boy
Mr_Boy Posts: 42 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Other than "I don't want to" of course! I normally do 40-45min moderate exercise on the exercise bike every day but I've got a cold and I always believed exercising when ill was a bad idea - though I don't know where I got that idea.

So for this kind of moderate exercise, what would people recommend? Go as normal and fight through it? Go a bit easy to keep the routine? Slack off and eat biscuits?

Replies

  • sumeetg37
    sumeetg37 Posts: 108 Member
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    Kind of amused how many of these there are this week, guess everybody got sick at the same time including me. I did some web searching on this and I found that:

    A. There is no correlation between MODERATE exercise and cold length or severity.
    B. General consensus amongst fitness minded folks is as long as it's above the neck and no fever go for it.
    C. A few strength trainer types think the antibodies from your cold can make you stronger, although I call BS on that one.

    I am sick as well, and I went ahead and lifted yesterday and will do yoga today because of A and B. I did have a surprisingly good lift despite my cold so anecdotally I give a +1 to C.
  • MissKitty9
    MissKitty9 Posts: 224 Member
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    Depends if you got the runny nose, & all that--- I usually skip if I know I'm gonna be there with a tissue in my nose the whole time. But after that stage passes, no reason to not exercise :smile:
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    Exercising stresses your body, it's the opposite of "getting rest"... so exercising has the potential to draw out your cold, but on the other hand, if it wasn't too sever to begin with, do it. Remember exercise is meant to make you better, not to run you into the ground. If you feel like it's making things worse, then just call it and take some rest.


    Also, I recommend finding something for exercise that you like to do... novel idea lol See when I get sick, I can stay out of the gym, because what I do there always has me coming back. I just took 5 weeks off from the gym due to injury actually... and I was dying to get back... because I like it.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    As long as it doesn't affect things like balance, I say work through it. Especially if it's just a cold. Often times the best thing I can do for a head cold is get a good workout followed by a good night's sleep. The workout helps my head drain/clear and quality sleep is the best way to "fight" a cold.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Yep. I work out with a cold. I've actually worked out when I was pretty sick.. cause i'm glutton. But I don't recommend that. I hate missing days at the gym. I hate rest days. So if you love it missing a day probably won't be a problem. It's about yuo and how you feel. If you think you will be ok with the exercise then go. If you're coughing and sneezing and hacking and blowing your nose constantly, i'd probably skip it and maybe do an at home thing? But if you're doing all that you probably need tea and milkshakes and soup and blankets and a crappy B-rated movie more. :flowerforyou:
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    I think it really depends how your body feels. i have tried it with the flu and was wasting my time as i could barely move. If I have a cold and I can still jump and down i will still do it whether I want to or not.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
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    Personally if it is just a little congestion I proceed. Anything more then that or a fever I rest.
  • carrieo888
    carrieo888 Posts: 233 Member
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    I do not let being sick be an excuse to not workout. I skip the gym though, cuz I don't want to expose my fellow gym-goers to my germ-infested sweat. I usually hop onto our elliptical for 30 min. This is particularly helpful when I have a respiratory illness, as I feel like it gets my lungs going - pushing out the gunk that's in there - and increases my blood flow and oxygen levels. I actually feel somewhat better after exercising Then I take a hot bath and a long nap :-)

    When I'm not up to the elliptical challenge, I do 15-30 min of yoga instead. The stretching often helps with muscle fatigue.

    Maybe it's just me, but I think working out - even if for just a little bit - lessens the severity and duration of my colds.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
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    Please don't go to the gym if you're sick and spread your germs all over the equipment to make the rest of us sick! If you're climbing the walls in your house from getting too much rest, go do something outside, alone, where you will be segregated at least 15 feet from the rest of the population.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    I follow the neck up rule, but like others have said, if you are sick, don't go to the gym. That's just irresponsible. Find something to do at home or outside.

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