Working out with a Cold/Flu
Article contributed by Sami Katzenberg
Many of us know someone (or it may be themselves!) that will jump at any excuse to skip a workout that day. We’ve all heard their excuses, “I just found out that I have a project due tomorrow!”, “I picked up some extra shifts at work”, “My friend begged me to go out to lunch”, etc. But one excuse is often questionable-“I have a cold/the flu”. The real question is- does this in fact mean that we shouldn’t continue to work out? Or is this just another chance to skip the gym?
First of all, you have to remember that anytime you go into a public facility, consider it crawling with germs during the flu season- and gyms are no exceptions. And as we all know, attending a campus as large as ours, we are bound to get sick a few times. There is the general rule of thumb: if you have a fever, chills, your chest is congested, you’re dehydrated, or you have any other cold ailment from the neck down, such as diarrhea, intense coughing, vomiting, fever, you should not work-out. These symptoms plus exercise of any type are not a good combination. Why do those particular symptoms really matter you might ask? Well, lifting weights can naturally increase blood pressure, and the alternate, cardio, can overwork your heart which can incidentally turn your chest cold into pneumonia or bronchitis. This combination can really cause severe illness if you are not careful. Let’s not forget that you don’t really want to bring those germs to the gym for other people to catch.
Now on the other hand, there are instances where it is relatively safe to go to the gym when you’re feeling a bit under the weather. In the case that you have above the head symptoms, such as a head cold with sneezing, sniffling, minor sinus pain, sore throat etc., it is fine to workout. As long as you’re not feeling too sluggish and your energy level is normal, you should be fine. One thing you should do though is drop your intensity level somewhat because your body is also using energy to fight whatever it is that is causing you to be ill. And most importantly, keep hydrated! Remember to drink at least 2-4 quarts per day, in addition to eating healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and lean meats in order to further fight off your illness.
Some people have read that you can “sweat off” or “run off” a cold. However, there is no evidence to prove this. In fact, if you exercise too hard, you can become even sicker. The moral of the story is, use your own judgment to determine if you are healthy enough to work out. To people on a serious schedule who hate skipping days, this can be tough. But in the end, your body will thank you for allowing it a few days to heal and get better. Likewise, maybe a little light exercise will help clear your head and give you extra energy. The last lesson- don’t forget to was your hands and/or use hand cleaners through the day and especially while at the gym to prevent the spread of germs!
http://www.stewsmith.com/linkpages/coldfluworkout.htm