You're Sick; Should You Exercise?

OK, so you've been at home with the sniffles, maybe you have a sore throat or just uncomfortable body aches. What do you do?

Should you get rest, or should you do your workout anyways? I know it's hard. I've been there. I get into my routine, and when I get sick and get knocked down, I don't want to get out of my routine.

But here's what we should do when we get sick.

Here a scenario to think about.

Imagine yourself at the local gym. You're over working out on a machine, then all the sudden Miss CoughAttack breezes by you as she's hacking, sniffling, and sneezing. And let me tell you, she's spraying that germ-infested spit all over the gym every time she sneezes.

You think to yourself, "Geez Louise, why didn't she just stay home and rest?"

Think about this - could it be that Miss CoughAttack is onto something?

Will she be able to sweat out her illness by boosting her immune system?

Let's find out.

Simply put, we don't go through a day without parasites, viruses, and bacteria infiltrating our environment. The most common are:

colds
coughs
tonsillitis
middle ear infection
influenza
sinusitis

Thankfully, our fantastic immune system works hard to defend us. Without a healthy immune system, we wouldn't have a healthy day our entire lives.

So, should we exercise when we're sick?

There are two types of exercise:

1. working out

2. physically moving the body

Now, in a structured workout, one where your breathing heavily and working hard while feeling discomfort, we will produce a stress response and our body.

When we're healthy, our bodies can handle that exercise stress. Over time, this makes us fit and healthy.

However, if we are sick, this exercise stress can be more than our immune system can put up with.

But listen here; that doesn't mean the minute you feel sneezing and congested you lay on the couch unless you're out of shape.

The non-strenuous movement should not hurt you; it may even help.

What is non-strenuous movement?

walking outside
gardening
stretching
outdoor bike riding (low intensity)

What's impressive is the above activities are shown to boost our immune systems.

They are not so intense that they compromise stress on our immune system. Instead, often, they will help us recover faster and feel better while we're feeling crummy.

So can exercise increase the immune system?

One or more moderate exercise sessions can strengthen immunity in healthy people.

So, let's review...

If you get sick with a cold or you feel yourself coming down with something, don't just plop yourself on the couch for a week. Light movement can get you feeling better and get you healthier quicker by strengthening your immune system. So, participate in activities like walking outside, or having a light, outdoor bike ride.

If you have a fever, vomiting, or body aches, you should take it easy until you are well again.

Are you still not sure what to do?

Rate yourself on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 feeling normal, 10 would be feeling violently ill.

If it's a 3 or under, do light training with lower volume and intensity.

Let your symptoms guide you in making this decision. And just use common sense.

If you go to the gym, wash your hands with soap and water, and use tissues when sneezing or cough in the inside of your elbow.

Here's to our Journey,