Do you have the sniffles? Sore throat? Fever? Flu? It’s certainly that time of year for it. So when I asked on facebook “what do you want to read about in this week’s newsletter?” the most common response was “should you exercise when you have a cold?”
By the way, if we’re not connected on facebook, we should be! Add me to your list. Just search my name. That’s where we often have important discussions about things like Modern Talking (AKA the greatest band of all time); who would win in a fight between Pamela Anderson or Carmen Electra; Igor-approved desserts; people doing silly stuff at the gym; and more.
So anyway, now that we’re facebook friends, let me answer your question, friend 🙂
Whether you should exercise or not when you’re sick depends on a number of factors like:
- What do you have? Is your sickness above the neck (just sore throat, runny nose, etc.) or below the neck (chest congestion, overall weakness, etc.)? If it’s above the neck, then exercise will actually do you some good. There’s nothing to clear up a stuffy nose like physical activity. It’s like your body’s natural anti-histamine. If your sickness is below the neck, sit this one out.
- What kind of exercise are you doing? Often, with a cold (but not the flu), you might feel crummy, but your strength is actually amplified. Endurance is shot (so don’t think about long-duration running or swimming or cycling, etc.), but strength is increased. I don’t really have an explanation for why that is, but just an observation I’ve made.
- Do you have an overall sense of weakness? If you do, take that as a sign that you should not be exercising at all, no matter whether it’s strength or endurance of flexibility work. They’ll all slow down your recovery.
Original source: here.
