Sick. Exercise or Rest

ac76medic
ac76medic Posts: 7 Member
edited November 27 in Fitness and Exercise
I have a soar throat and feel a little run down. Should I just suck it up or take the day off and recover??

Replies

  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    personal choice, and very dependent on how sick you are. Cardio may be tough, as breathing will be affected.
    If you just have a touch of a flu, flu like symptoms but not laid out, obviously some light walking won't hurt anything. I can often lift weights when I am a little run down.
    Just don't spread your germs to everyone by coughing up a lung :)
  • runningforthetrain
    runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
    I have arguments about this. My take is REST and drink a lot of water, hot teas....
  • ac76medic
    ac76medic Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you
  • ac76medic
    ac76medic Posts: 7 Member
    riffraff2112 wrote: »
    personal choice, and very dependent on how sick you are. Cardio may be tough, as breathing will be affected.
    If you just have a touch of a flu, flu like symptoms but not laid out, obviously some light walking won't hurt anything. I can often lift weights when I am a little run down.
    Just don't spread your germs to everyone by coughing up a lung :)

    I think a day of rest won't hurt my fitness too much. But I think I might do some yoga at home.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    day off is definitely sometimes necessary. Enjoy it and hit it hard when you are back at100%
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    Rest and recover. A day or two won't hurt anything, and a forced rest is sometimes a good thing.
  • SuperheroSadie
    SuperheroSadie Posts: 167 Member
    Do whatever your body is feeling up to! If you're physically exhausted and going up the stairs winds you, take a rest. If for some reason you have a lot of energy, doing some cardio next to your bed in case that suddenly changes (like a zumba video on youtube!) could be a good pick-me-up. Maybe some gentle yoga if you're feeling a bit stiff? If anything, sickness is an excuse to listen to your body 100% and stay in bed if the thought of standing makes your whole you ache.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    All depends on how you feel, really, along with how long you've been sick. Oh, and where you're working out. If you usually go to a gym, skip it. Keep those germs to yourself ;)

    Usually for me, the first day I'm sick, my energy level goes down into the floor. I will choose to sit/lay on the couch, eat as well as I can, and just take it easy. Maybe do an easy yoga routine if I'm feeling tightness.

    By day 2, my energy level is back up. I still may not do my usual workout, but I make a concerted effort to get more walking in, and do more if I feel like I'm up to it.

    It's 100% personal preference - you know your body better than we do. You'll quickly figure out what's best, whether it's sucking it up and going anyway or taking the day off.

    Better to let yourself rest for a day now than to be sick longer and/or forced to rest more later.

    ~Lyssa
  • MsTeaLady
    MsTeaLady Posts: 11 Member
    Here is the general guideline:

    -If you are sick above the neck, you can pretty much do anything. It will just suck more.
    -If you are sick in the chest, do not run or do extensive cardio.
    -If you have a systemic sickness, like food poisoning, diarrhea and vomiting, rest completely. Maybe do some light stretching.

    I disagree that it is 100% personal preference. Because if you're like me, you'll suck it up and workout anyway...then end up with chronic bronchitis. Study up on it. When it doubt, rest. An extra day of not working out isn't nearly as bad as fighting a relapse, bronchitis, or even pneumonia for another few weeks.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    ac76medic wrote: »
    riffraff2112 wrote: »
    personal choice, and very dependent on how sick you are. Cardio may be tough, as breathing will be affected.
    If you just have a touch of a flu, flu like symptoms but not laid out, obviously some light walking won't hurt anything. I can often lift weights when I am a little run down.
    Just don't spread your germs to everyone by coughing up a lung :)

    I think a day of rest won't hurt my fitness too much. But I think I might do some yoga at home.

    a day off doesn't hurt your fitness at all...i usually take two per week...sometimes i even take a whole week off for this or that. when you start getting into multiple, consecutive weeks off, that's where you run into issues...but even then, muscle memory is pretty quick and it doesn't take long to get back to where you were.

    i recently took about 2 months where i couldn't really workout consistently due to injury, illness, and just other *kitten* going on...a couple weeks back at it and i'm right back where i was. i wasn't off completely but exercise was basically hit or miss...lucky if i put in a couple rides per week.
  • ac76medic
    ac76medic Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for all the feed back. I just got this sore throat last night. Took a ton of vit C. Still seams to be getting worse. Mentally I want to work out but physically I'm not feeling it. Plus I want to recover a fast as possible. I have heard in the past that you should work out an sweat out the sickness. But I'm not too sure that is wise advice. So I will wait until I feel better.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    ac76medic wrote: »
    Thanks for all the feed back. I just got this sore throat last night. Took a ton of vit C. Still seams to be getting worse. Mentally I want to work out but physically I'm not feeling it. Plus I want to recover a fast as possible. I have heard in the past that you should work out an sweat out the sickness. But I'm not too sure that is wise advice. So I will wait until I feel better.

    I had a cold this past spring that got worse for 2-3 days, then I felt like I was improving for a day or so, then went right back downhill.

    If you're feeling worse, continue to rest. Drink lots of fluids, get some rest, and eat nutritious stuff & you'll be back at it in no time :)

    ~Lyssa
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    Good choice. I felt like that earlier in the season, still worked out, and ended up getting sicker. I think in the long run, you're better off to rest so you can get over it faster.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Please everyone don't go workout in a gym sick.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Depends where you work out and how you feel. If you work out in a gym: stay home.
    Hope you feel better soon!
  • dawniemate
    dawniemate Posts: 395 Member
    ac76medic wrote: »
    I have a soar throat and feel a little run down. Should I just suck it up or take the day off and recover??

    Recover. ..it only gets worse! I've been laid up in bed 3 days with flu symptoms. ..I had a sore throat and went on a run.... .. rest rest rest! ! Get well soon :smiley:
  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    Take some meds, then gauge how you feel. You may find that you can tolerate your usual workout.
    I recently had (still have a touch of it) a sore throat , runny that turned into a productive cough . I still managed to go for a few runs (although those runs were 2 miles instead of the usual 3-3.5.) And hit the weights. I was more exhausted after it but I listened to my body. The running/heavier breathing I think helps get more gunk out of the lungs.
    If you have a FEVER and/or are short of breath, though, definitely a rest day .
  • c50blvdbabe
    c50blvdbabe Posts: 213 Member
    ac76medic wrote: »
    Thanks for all the feed back. I just got this sore throat last night. Took a ton of vit C. Still seams to be getting worse. Mentally I want to work out but physically I'm not feeling it. Plus I want to recover a fast as possible. I have heard in the past that you should work out an sweat out the sickness. But I'm not too sure that is wise advice. So I will wait until I feel better.

    Same here. Had a sore throat out of nowhere last nite. I drank a hot toddy with 2 shots of moonshine (didn't have any whiskey) and went to bed. Woke up around 2 this morning in a pool of sweat. Dried off, laid back down and woke up with no sore throat this morning, and still don't have one. Plan to do a light run after work on the treadmill.
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