Thursday, 17 December 2009
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Should I Exercise If I Have A Cold Or Fever?
Exercise and being physically active are crucial when it comes to staying healthy and preventing chronic illness. Regular exercise allows you to improve your overall fitness, which can help to boost your immune system — the body’s defense against infections.
Here are some helpful tips from Mayo Clinic if you develop a cold or fever this winter and you’re unsure if exercising will help or make your illness worse. Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a cold but no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by temporarily relieving nasal congestion.
As a rule of thumb for exercise and illness:
* Proceed with your workout if your signs and symptoms are “above the neck” — such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or sore throat. However, be prepared to reduce the intensity of your workout if needed.
* Postpone your workout if your signs and symptoms are “below the neck” — such as chest congestion, hacking cough or upset stomach. Likewise, don’t exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches.
Most importantly, if you choose to exercise when you’re sick, listen to your body. If your signs and symptoms get worse with physical activity, stop and rest. Resume your workout routine gradually as you begin to feel better.
Do you work out when you have a cold or are sick? What are your get-healthy remedies?
Post contributed from www.MoveUrBody.com.
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- From: moveurbody
- Name: Courtney and Stacy
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Comments (14)
I don't work out if I'm sick, or if I do, I keep it really light. I heard about some study where they injected two groups of rats with the flu, and had one group rest, and had the other group run on wheels. The running group stayed sicker longer, and some died. Stuff like that just proves that you really need to take it easy when you feel bad, because you risk making yourself sicker.
I'm guilty of this..I havent been sick in a while thanks to daily doses of hot green tea^_^ but when i did get sick it was always pretty much on the brink of brain boiling and death yet i still hobbled myself out of bed to get in 1hr of cardio..I know thats idiotic but when i get sick i tend to lose ALOT of weight and i wanted to maximize the amount i lost by adding excercise..I know i know but its just the way i think. I kinda looked forward to being under the weather for the weakness and loss of appetite and just sense of calm if that makes sense.. It was the only time i didnt stress about anything
I do if I have a cold or something. In fact, I've found that if I get some form of exercise when I first feel the symptons of a cold, the symptons are less severe than normally the next few days following. And I get better quicker.
When I'm sick my rule is if I can't concentrate on a cognitive task, then I probably shouldn't be overexerting myself physically either. When I can't get through a puzzle, then what makes me think a tree pose won't defeat me?
Im sick right now with the flu and with the fatigue and aches, i can barely sit in front of a computer and concentrate, I cant imagine doing cardio. I'd prolly puke.
I'd add one suggestion to this: If you are a little under the weather and decide to go ahead with your workout, please follow precautions to help keep other people from getting sick!
*Wash your hands thoroughly before you go to the gym
*Cover your mouth if you sneeze or cough- try to do this with your arm since if you cough in your hands, you'll just turn around and touch something.
*Thoroughly wipe down your machines and weights with a sanitizing spray and cloth or paper towels
*Consider carrying a pocket sized sanitizer with you so that if you do cough on your hands, you can sanitize before you touch anything
I'm all for you working out if you're up for it, but I don't want your cold!
I might work out a little if I have a cold, but never with a fever. Usually I just sleep more and try to get over it.
Hell no...a nice little placed stretching may be very refreshing but nothing intense.
I feel better when I work out if I'm sick, but that does depend how sick I am.
working out is like moving a fever from your head to your whole body, and a great way to get rid of the cold if you have the excess energy to actually pull it off.
however don't work out at a gym. beyond gyms being a breeding ground for bacteria (which your body is already weak against cause it has been fighting, and using up short term resources), you can give others your cold, and it might evolve and hit you again.
lol at washing your hands XD actually washing hands and over sanitizing is a major problem. don't do it, work out on a treadmill or on your back porch or on a staircase if you are in an apartment building (when no one else is there). the water moisture in your breath with likely catch a portion of any infectious particals you exhale which settle to the floor, and unlike in a gym, wont get transferd to other people. if workign out is a social activity for you then simply don't do it.
Yeah, I go for a run at night when the air is cold. I find it makes breathing easier and it's all the same for clearing thoughts and stuff. I call it "running off my cough" because it's usually a bit better the next morning when I get up.
I have asthma, so working out when I have any respiratory condition SUCKS. My asthma normally isn't induced by exercised unless I have a cold or other respiratory infection.
I do what that list says. If I have a head cold I'll work out for a little bit just to keep the rest of my body active, but if I'm coughing, or have muscles aches, I take it easy.