Are You Too Sick to Workout?

Sniffles and colds can make you feel miserable, but are you too sick to exercise?

When you should skip a day of exercise in favor of rest?

Staying motivated to exercise is definitely more difficult when you are under the weather, but how do you know when to power-through and when to take a break? Here are some tips:

Got the sniffles? Tough it out.
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is safe to workout if your symptoms are “above the neck.” Happily, exercise may make your runny nose, stuffed-up sinuses, or sore throat feel better.

Are you coughing? Give it a rest.
Postpone your workout if you have chest congestion or tightness. That hacking cough will likely get worse with exertion. Wait until your symptoms improve to resume your workout routine.

Is your stomach upset? Take a break.
Vomiting and diarrhea can easily lead to dangerous dehydration. Don’t stress your system further with exercise.

Got a fever? Stay in bed.
Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward Laskowski, M.D., indicates exercising with a fever can be dangerous and could cause inflammation of the heart muscle. If you have a fever, extreme fatigue, or widespread muscle aches, sleep and allow your body to heal before resuming your routine.

Use common sense.
Listen to your body when you are under the weather. Slow down or stop if your symptoms get worse. When you feel better, ease back into exercise, especially if you are weakened after a long bout with the flu or a fever.

Stay healthy and strong this season!!

Eliz Greene works busy people to improve heart health, so they can work well, feel better, and stress less.

She is a heart attack survivor and the author of the Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart as well as 3 other books on wellness. She writes one of the top 50 health and wellness blogs and is a sought-after wellness & stress management speaker.

If you are planning a women’s wellness program, workplace wellness program or programs for healthcare professionals check out EmbraceYourHeart.com to see if Eliz would be a good fit with your organization.