Working out when sick

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by AmandaS on February 17, 2010 at 10:45am

Hi Terri,

I'm not Jari, but I hope I can help. Anytime I'm sick, I just take the time off and rest. When I get a stuffy nose, working out makes it even harder to breathe, if I have fever, I usually ache so much that the last thing I want to do is pick up weights or get on the elliptical and if I'm coughing, sometimes working out will make the cough worse and harder to get rid of. I usually just plan on being out for a week, enjoy getting to sleep later in the morning!, and use the time to take care of myself so I'm ready to jump back in once I'm well. Also, I find out that taking a periodic break, like when I'm sick, really helps to motivate me when I am able to start back. Hope this helps and hope you get to feeling better soon!

Amanda

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jari Love on February 17, 2010 at 3:26pm

Hi Terri,

I'm sorry to hear you are under the weather! For me, it depends on how sick I feel. If I'm really feeling drained and lethargic then yes, I definitely rest up and drink lots of fluids. If I'm just a little stuffy I find that a light jog or walk outside helps clear my head and make me feel better. I recommend talking to your doctor and get his/her advice!

Get better soon :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Terri Maverick on February 17, 2010 at 4:08pm

Thanks Amanda and Jari! I think I'm going to make sure I'm fully recovered so I don't regress. Your comments really encouraged me and I look forward to getting back into my workouts. In the mean time, I'm staying healthy by eating clean and drinking lots of water. :)

Terri

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kristi Jean Holmes on February 26, 2010 at 12:28pm

Hey Terri....I came across this article and I just thought I would post it for some other insight. I know Jari is great information and I always look forward to her posts. Just thought anything good wouldnt hurt to post in addition to hers.

There are no hard and true rules on this but, basically, if your working out is prolonging your illness than you're better off not doing it.

It's said that low-level exercise during a cold is fine. I would agree to a point but the variables are huge. You need to learn what your body can handle and is capable of. Exercise can also weaken an already weakened immune system and cause you to get sicker.

As for me, some colds I exercise right through and others I completely stop. It sort of depends on what it is. Here is a protocol that works for me (usually, sometimes I screw up and make things worse).

In the initial stages when I feel like I'm coming down with something I back WAY off. When others around me are sick I try and keep a close eye on my body and how it's reacting. Often, when you are fighting something your adrenaline goes up and you can use this to fight off an infection or get a great workout. Sometimes I don't notice the signals, get the best workout I've had in ages, then wake up the next day sick. If I can read the signals and I back way off, including getting extra rest and proper nutrition (pass on drinking with buddies, etc), add extra zinc and vitamin c, I can often miss the cold entirely. Then my few days backing off allow me to get back to normal without really missing anything (as a day or two of easy training almost never hurts you).

If I blow it and get sick, then I really baby myself in the initial stages. This is when you really need your immune system. Sometimes I'll go easy but if I feel rundown at all, I just skip my workout in favor of extra sleep or downtime.

After the initial session with the illness, when I'm certain it's not getting worse, I'll start exercising again. Not hard, but something. This is enough not to lose much fitness for some time.

Near the end, I usually feel a point where it's time to hammer the cold into submission. Often, a really hard workout will wipe away the final remnants of the illness. But occasionally, I get this wrong, in which case I may relapse a bit. But I usually get it right.

Another thing that's a gauge is your morning resting heart rate. Over the course of an exercise program, this should remain constant of go down. If it goes up more than a few beats per minute than something is going on. You are overtraining or gettting sick, and in either case you need to back off until it drops back down.

Sorry it's not a definitive answer but I don't think there is one. Hope this helps.

Kristi

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Megan Alderton on March 7, 2010 at 8:24am

I am so glad this discussion went up when it did! I have had strep throat 2 times in the past two months and was wondering about when it was safe to get back into my rather heavy workout regimen. It's funny... I should have listened to my body a little better, but for me, I'm always so busy and on-the-go, I figure if my energy is flagging it's just because I'm tired, not because I'm necessarily getting sick. On Wednesday, I had a dickens of a time keeping up with a cardiovascular workout which admittedly is difficult, but usually not a problem for me. I figured I was just tired and left it at that. The next morning, I woke up feeling groggy and a little achy... again, just thinking I was tired. I went to work as usual and by evening I did start to feel more energetic, so I did my hour long workout with no problems. Next morning, SICK. I was at my doctor's office by lunchtime and tested positive for strep. By evening, my fever had gone up to 103 (with Tylenol). Needless to say no working out this day. If I had just realized what was going on earlier, I would have skipped the workouts on Wednesday and Thursday and maybe would not have gotten so sick. As Kristi stated, I must have weakened my already weak immune system. Today (Sunday) I have been out of bed and doing housework, but nothing else. I am still weak from a lack of food. I plan on picking back up tomorrow with a light workout (not exactly the day I want to dive into ER 1000!), and then gradually building back up in the next couple of days until I'm back to normal. So, let my error be a lesson to anyone reading this. If something doesn't feel right, or you're struggling with a workout/routine that you are normally fine with, back off. Take the day off from working out or just substitute a short walk if you must do something. Take a nap if you can. Our bodies heal when they are asleep. And, when you are feeling better, gradually get back into the swing of things and then hit the gas pedal when you feel ready. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Good luck to all. Hope this helps anyone reading. :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Terri Maverick on March 7, 2010 at 1:22pm

Learning from experience is not always fun, but I'm so glad you shared. I think we all need to be reminded to listen to our bodies.

▶ Reply to This