A few years back, I caught the early signs of a cold but decided to push through for a 5k race I'd been training for, not wanting to feel like my efforts were wasted. Caught up in the race-day adrenaline, I pushed harder than ever to beat my previous time. That decision backfired spectacularly—within hours, I was hit with a fever, body aches, and chills, knocking me off my feet for days. Lesson learned the hard way!
There's a lot of illness going around right now—everything from the sniffles to full-blown flu. One of the topics that came up because of this yesterday on my group coaching call was the question 'Should you exercise when you're sick?' Here's the 411 on navigating fitness when you're not feeling 100%.
First things first, understand that there’s a difference between hitting it hard at the gym and just getting your body moving. When you're hitting it hard at the gym, your body's cranking up the stress response, which is awesome for building strength or improving your fitness when you're healthy. But if you're feeling a bit off, that same intensity might be too much for your immune system.
That doesn’t mean however, that you need to park it on the sofa with a case of the sniffles. Gentle moves like a leisurely walk or easy biking (preferably outdoors), a bit of gardening, or gentle yoga or stretching can be a great option. These types of activities can actually help your immune system, and help you feel better without overdoing it.
Navigating the decision to exercise when feeling under the weather boils down to the nature of your symptoms. The general rule of thumb suggests skipping the workout if you're dealing with systemic symptoms like fever, widespread muscle aches, or significant fatigue, indicating your body needs rest to fight off infection. On the flip side, if your symptoms are "above the neck," such as a runny nose or sore throat, gentle physical activity could be beneficial. However, please don’t spread germs by going to the gym! If you are experiencing any of these symptoms but want to still get your workout in, do it at home!
Basically, exercising at a lower intensity is fine, and might even be helpful if your symptoms are mild. On the flip side, you’ll want to avoid high intensity exercise, heavy strength training, team sports, or exercising in extreme temperatures when you're sick.
Always prioritize listening to your body's signals, opt for rest if symptoms worsen during exercise, and be courteous and work out from home or outdoors if you are feeling under the weather!
And for those of you feeling under the weather right now, I hope you get feeling better soon!
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