Is it ok to work out when sick?

Just my opinion, but if you are sick, you should rest and let your body recover. It is already using energy to try and cure an illness, so adding more stress to the body by exercising doesn't seem optimum.

That being said, I'm a big pansy when I get sick so maybe I am just looking for an excuse to take a day off? lol.

A little common sense can go a long way here. Any time you're sick, getting sufficient rest becomes that much more important. If you're able to work out safely (i.e. no concerns about light headedness, weakness, etc) AND you're able to give your body the rest it needs to fight the illness, then in most cases you're probably fine.

It's kinda like when you were a kid and your parents told you that if you were too sick to go to school, then you're too sick to do whatever fun thing you wanted to do. If you can go to work, do dishes, vacuum, etc, then you're probably OK to work out. If you're sick in bed, I would probably stay in bed.

On a side note... if you work out in a public gym, be considerate of others. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

I think that when you are sick that rest is best. You always hear when you are sick people saying "get lots of rest!" This is very true. Listen to your body (I'm sure it tells you to lay down and take a break). A little r and r will never hurt.

Now if you just have a headache or a minor stomach ache, then I say workout if you can manage it.

If I am ill above my neck then I would work out and play it by ear as jack says. If I am ill in my chest then I wouldn't intentionally have a go unless it is very light. If you go to hard you will weaken your immune system for several hours after your session and whatever you have can take hold more so if you have a chest infection then exercising isn't a good idea.

It's @#$ing selfish to others who are most likely going to catch your sickness. Rather stay at home for your health, and others'

It's considered perfectly fine, and even helpful, to work out when you have anything above the chest (eg sore throat, common cold, etc.). Chest or below, you should rest.

I personally find that working out when I have a cold really clears up my sinuses and makes me feel much better. Studies have been performed and demonstrated that it doesn't delay resolution of the cold.

It is said you can "sweat out a cold", but be careful on what you decide to do for you workout. I had a head/sinus cold the past weekend and felt well enough to workout by Tuesday. Went for a light run (usually do 4-6 miles), but by 3 miles I was breathing REALLY heavy and feeling light headed. Guess I wasn't as well as I felt. I say choose a light workout and see how it feels. If it goes well up it the next day until you get back to your normal workouts. It will work different for everyone but this was my experience. Good luck and hope you feel better.

I think you really need to listen to your body. I've seen the studies, and I know for some people a light workout can help, but for me, every time I've tried exercising with a cold, I get sicker, particularly if I do it during the first couple of achy days. You'll learn your own pattern over time. It may not alter the length of time I'm sick, but it definitely affects the severity.

It's not an "excuse" if your body needs the rest. It's a valid reason.

If you feel healthy and strong and feel like working out, yay that.

If you feel sick and tired and not up to it, don't.

If you're sick, do your workouts at home. It's not nice to risk other people's health and heaven knows you don't need new bugs getting into you when your body is already having to fight one set of them.