Training with a cold?

To date I've always been of the view that it's best to lay off exercise and exertion whilst under the weather. I felt that a decent rest was the fastest way to get better quicker and back into the gym and training hard.

More recently however, and since the arrival of our 3 young boys (or "germ vectors", to give them their more accurate name) I seem to be almost permanently fighting something off. If I avoided the gym whenever I feel like this, I would never go.

What are people's views on whether to train, and how to train, whilst in this condition?

I feel like the stuff in my programme that is a bit CNS-spanking - eg, the HIIT stuff, and my 1RM olympics lifts - might be detrimental, but that some calorie-burning long steady state might feel rubbish at the time, but wouldn't do too much harm.

Thanks any thoughts or tips.

Replies

  • Rincewind_1965
    Rincewind_1965 Posts: 639 Member
    Lost a friend to Myocarditis so I would strongly discourage any attempt to train with a cold.
  • Scubdup
    Scubdup Posts: 104 Member
    edited January 2018
    Lost a friend to Myocarditis so I would strongly discourage any attempt to train with a cold.

    I'm sorry to hear that, Detritus. Thanks for posting - I hadn't heard of Myocarditis before you shared that.

    For anyone else, here's one of the first articles I found on the subject:-

    http://www.dw.com/en/when-sports-are-bad-and-threaten-the-heart/a-16309687

    It sounds like a very serious illness which can have fatal, or long-term detrimental repercussions on your health.

    That said, and without trying to trivialise anything, it seems that the problem arises where there has been a fever, or serious (possibly undiagnosed or detected) infection.

    I still think that where the problem is a low level cold, it *might* be acceptable to do some LSS work, but I *am* going to read more about it before making any decisions.
  • _mr_b
    _mr_b Posts: 301 Member
    My general rule is that if I feel I can train then I do.

    If I’m feeling like I’m getting a cold I tend to train anyway as I find that for whatever reason that tends to get rid of it.
    If it’s taken hold I feel to rubbish to train, so don’t .
  • cat_lady77
    cat_lady77 Posts: 203 Member
    _mr_b wrote: »
    My general rule is that if I feel I can train then I do.

    If I’m feeling like I’m getting a cold I tend to train anyway as I find that for whatever reason that tends to get rid of it.
    If it’s taken hold I feel to rubbish to train, so don’t .

    Exactly! If you KNOW you've got something, I'd say skip it & rest. That is also considerate if you go to a gym where others can catch your germs!