Exercising When You're Sick

by Kris Pitcher

It's going around the office, the kids have brought it home...it's the crud! That's right, the sniffling, sneezing, the stuffy head, the coughing and all the associated yuck that goes along with it. And heaven forbid the "man cold" hits your household, or you are in for it! The man cold is SO bad that researchers took a look to see if men get some kind of uber symptoms. But alas, they're just...weakend in their time of need (those are my words).

Let's not get off track here. The question? Should you work out if you're sick? The answer is - it depends. Many of us feel like we don't want to miss a work out. We're on a roll. If we get off schedule it's hard to make up, right? You're not alone, lots of people feel that way. Others feel like the immune system is already compromised and we should just lay off. The experts don't always agree either.

There are some common sense things you can rely on to help you make your decision. If you have a fever (anything over 101), you don't work out. Further elevation of your body temperature is not smart. You're on the bench. Period. If you have a head cold and can manage your symptoms you can probably exercise. You might want to take it a little easy, but you can make it to the gym.

Anything below the neck, please stay home. Chest cold, coughing, sore throat etc. You're more likely to decrease your body's chance to fight off the yuck. Plus, we'd rather you didn't phlem on us and all the stuff we're going to touch at the gym. Thanks anyway.

Wash your hands with soap and water, don't touch your face and always cover your coughs and sneezes. These are simple things you can do to protect yourself and those around you during the cold and flu season. Make some smart decisions about whether to exercise or not if you're sick. Sometimes it's better to take a rest day and let yourself get better. Your work outs will be there when you're feeling better!