exercising while sick

tasha12004
tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
edited November 17 in Fitness and Exercise
I am really beating myself up this week with the gym. I missed Sunday thru Yesterday because my daughter has been really sick since Saturday which meant no sleep for mommy those nights... Anyways fast forward to today and now I'm at work with a fever, back ache, chest pain, and coughing. should I force myself to go to the gym and just do some light cardio? Or should I take ANOTHER day off from the gym to recover? I haven't lost any weight for over a week now and I don't want to get out of the habit of the gym.

So please help me out with some advise as I cannot make up my mind.
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Replies

  • hawkmancody
    hawkmancody Posts: 63 Member
    Well I was sick 2 weeks ago and I was wiped out after work and any activity made me cough so I did skip that week. I focused on recovering from the sickness rather then wearing out my body even more by going to the gym. But in the end only you can decide whether or not to go.
  • kaizaku
    kaizaku Posts: 1,039 Member
    Rest. You will do more harm than good. Listen to your body.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Rest up, recover and then you can work out when you're well again.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Working out while you are sick and have a fever, etc is just about the worse thing you could do. It's just going to overly stress your body and prolong things...not to mention it's pretty rude to other gym goers.

    Sounds like the flu to me...you shouldn't be spreading it around.

    All of this.
  • tasha12004
    tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
    I just now have this fear that if i get out of routine , i will get lazy and stop going along with my training.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    tasha12004 wrote: »
    I just now have this fear that if i get out of routine , i will get lazy and stop going along with my training.

    Stay home and stretch or do some yoga.
  • moira1968
    moira1968 Posts: 17 Member
    I'm supposed to be running a 10 mile road race on Sunday, unfortunately I have been nursing a chest infection for a few days so won't be running. I will be going to collect my number and t-shirt on Saturday though as my Scottish blood won't allow me to get nothing for my money. The general advice is if the illness is above the neck (head cold, sinusitis, etc) then exercise, if below the neck or you have a fever then rest until recovered.
  • NicholeCharlton
    NicholeCharlton Posts: 10 Member
    I'm in the same boat. Been sick since last week and no gym since then either. And I'm afraid of getting out of the habit. But just don't have the energy to get up and go to the gym. Nor do I want to spread this funk around. So I'm staying put and concentrating on sticking within my calories and just getting myself hyped for next week when I start cycling at a new gym! Don't get discouraged. But don't kill yourself either. Your body needs rest. You could make your sickness last longer and be out of the gym even more time. Hang in there! Feel better!
  • kaizaku
    kaizaku Posts: 1,039 Member
    Rest is also part of training :)
  • rjmwx81
    rjmwx81 Posts: 259 Member
    Fever = no gym.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    Stay home, rest, get better, then get back to your routine. Yea, being sick sucks, but it's a small set back in the grand scheme of things.
  • LeoT0917
    LeoT0917 Posts: 206 Member
    Agree with all of the above comments. Remember, it's about the long game.
  • tasha12004
    tasha12004 Posts: 232 Member
    Okay, so I took everyones advice including my body yesterday. Went to sleep at 6 PM and slept till 6 AM. Now feeling worse than yesterday but on a positive note I lost a pound :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    tasha12004 wrote: »
    I just now have this fear that if i get out of routine , i will get lazy and stop going along with my training.

    Rest is an integral aspect of training to begin with. Beyond that, you're going to have to find away to get past this line of thinking because *kitten* is always going to happen...injuries for example tend to come with the territory of being a fitness freak...I had to basically put everything on hold from about July - October last year due to injury...I didn't get lazy or complacent...I was chomping at the bit to get back into things and ultimately pushed myself back to quickly and ended up prolonging the injury...*kitten* happens, you have to learn to deal with it.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    If you're worried about it, simply keep your calories in check and don't sweat it. Rest is best. You aren't going to lose strength or muscle mass in 1-2 weeks if you're sick that long. You'll be fine. For me, I have my exercise pre-calculated into my daily goals, so I would have to cut it back a bit if I didn't exercise but it wouldn't be an issue. If you go exercise while you're that sick, you'll spread it to others, and you'll feel worse and be down longer. Make or buy some chicken soup and rest.
  • WeighandPray
    WeighandPray Posts: 42 Member
    As long as you still watch your diet, you'll do great. I come back to the gym with renewed energy and strength when I have to take a week off from sickness. It's more about diet than exercise, so don't let that slip.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    tasha12004 wrote: »
    I just now have this fear that if i get out of routine , i will get lazy and stop going along with my training.

    Don't do that. Once you're feeling better, get back to work. You know, kinda like real life. When you're sick you stay home and get better. When you get better, you go back to work. Working out is not any different.
  • sugom2
    sugom2 Posts: 93 Member
    If you can't make the gym, there is always a way to do some type of exercising at home. I understand you were taking care of your sick daughter, but you also could have done something for yourself at home....
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    tasha12004 wrote: »
    I am really beating myself up this week with the gym. I missed Sunday thru Yesterday because my daughter has been really sick since Saturday which meant no sleep for mommy those nights... Anyways fast forward to today and now I'm at work with a fever, back ache, chest pain, and coughing. should I force myself to go to the gym and just do some light cardio? Or should I take ANOTHER day off from the gym to recover? I haven't lost any weight for over a week now and I don't want to get out of the habit of the gym.

    So please help me out with some advise as I cannot make up my mind.

    do not go to the gym when you have a fever, as this means you are contagious and will spread what you have.

    when you are sick, you need rest.
  • moira1968
    moira1968 Posts: 17 Member
    Having a fever has nothing to do with being contagious. It is just the body's way of fighting off the virus or bacterial infection.

    As everyone else says- rest, rest and rest
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    moira1968 wrote: »
    Having a fever has nothing to do with being contagious. It is just the body's way of fighting off the virus or bacterial infection.

    As everyone else says- rest, rest and rest

    really, so when you have the flu and are running a fever one is not contagious???
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    moira1968 wrote: »
    Having a fever has nothing to do with being contagious. It is just the body's way of fighting off the virus or bacterial infection.

    As everyone else says- rest, rest and rest

    Having a fever is one of the ways that you can tell if you are likely contagious. Thick coloured mucous and skin rashes are the other common ways.

    If you must exercise then do it at home.
  • omakase619
    omakase619 Posts: 226 Member
    Yo don't do it until you're completely well. I made the mistake of trying to power thru when I thought I was getting better and ended up be really sick for another two weeks. Check you resting heart rate to see how much your body is trying to fight off illness. Mine jumped into the 100's
  • Lefty1290
    Lefty1290 Posts: 551 Member
    Working out when you're sick or truly fatigued (not 'just woke up' fog) is not good for you. It does more harm than good - releasing cortisol, the stress hormone, which perpetuates body fat storage.
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
    You have to listen to your body. Worst thing you could do is force yourself into the gym and make the situation worse. Instead of being out for a day or two extra you could wind up being out for a couple weeks.

    Get the rest plus if you're sick you could hurt yourself in the gym too
  • moira1968
    moira1968 Posts: 17 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    moira1968 wrote: »
    Having a fever has nothing to do with being contagious. It is just the body's way of fighting off the virus or bacterial infection.

    As everyone else says- rest, rest and rest

    really, so when you have the flu and are running a fever one is not contagious???

    You're only contagious if you have a infectious disease. Fever has nothing to do with it. Either that or my 25 years experience as a nurse and two bachelor degrees aren't worth *kitten*.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    moira1968 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    moira1968 wrote: »
    Having a fever has nothing to do with being contagious. It is just the body's way of fighting off the virus or bacterial infection.

    As everyone else says- rest, rest and rest

    really, so when you have the flu and are running a fever one is not contagious???

    You're only contagious if you have a infectious disease. Fever has nothing to do with it. Either that or my 25 years experience as a nurse and two bachelor degrees aren't worth *kitten*.

    you did not answer the question ..

    one can have a fever and be contagious...so not sure what you are arguing about..

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