With the cold and flu season upon us, you may be wondering whether or not you should try to work out when you are feeling sick.
For starters, the best general rule of thumb is that if all of your symptoms are "above your neck," you can work out. Now you may wonder, what exactly does that mean? "Above the neck" symptoms typically refer to what you have when you have a common cold such as a minor sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. If you have a fever, flu, or are experiencing aches and pains throughout all of your body when you are feeling ill, you should not work out.
Working out with a cold will not make symptoms worse, but it won't help shorten any of your symptoms either. The best way to help with your workouts while you have a cold is to just stay extra hydrated throughout the workout and the whole day in general. Staying hydrated may help with congestion, which in turn will help with your overall workout productivity.
When it comes to having a fever or the flu, it should come as common sense that working out is not a good option. Your body is already trying to fight and fend off the illness and adding extracurricular forces to this equation may only make things worse.
Overall the simple answer is that if your symptoms are only "above the neck" go ahead and work out. Just be courteous of others around you and don’t spread anything to anybody. The biggest solution to all of this is water, water, and more water! Stay healthy!
If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
