Episode 7: Exercise and sickness

Ever thought of exercising when feeling a little under the weather? Sometimes the routine that we stick to for exercise for fitness and weight loss can give a strong drive. While that may actually be good, the feeling that you just want to go to the gym or run may still hit you while your sick. In actual fact, exercising while sick puts a greater stress on the body, and weakens the immune system. The day you wake up with a cold or some other illness, it’s time to ponder: Should you go ahead and exercise — or roll over and get some extra sleep?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), if you have a fever, you should wait until you feel better. The cutoff point, many doctors say, is 100.5 degrees or 38 degrees celcius. Listen to your body and take it easy if your body temperature is at or above that mark. The danger of working out with a fever, the ACSM says, is that you run the risk of kidney ailments, heatstroke and fluid balance problems as your temperature climbs even higher.

And no cheating: Popping aspirin to bring down your temperature or relying on the gym’s air conditioner to keep you cool will backfire, the ACSM says. Illness is a stress, and exercise is a stress. When you double up on the stress, your body will suffer.

If your temperature is normal, but you still feel under the weather, take the “neck check” to see whether you should exercise. If your symptoms are above your neck — sneezing, stuffy nose and watery eyes — by all means go ahead with your regular workout, the ACSM says. But if your symptoms are below the neck — nausea, achy muscles and coughing, all indications of the flu — you’re better off laying low for a couple of days.

Your immune system is compromised with the flu, and if you work out, you won’t recover as well because a lot of the energy in your body is going to exercise, not recovery.

Just because you miss a workout or two when you’re sick doesn’t mean your fitness level will suffer. Once you pass the neck check and the fever test, you can be active again — but listen to your body. Getting back to your routine will be easier than you think.

If you find yourself getting sick pretty often, exercising while you’re under the weather won’t help. The best plan is to work on increasing your immunity to help you avoid getting sick in the first place. Moderate exercise over the long run can help to increase your immunity, as well as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, taking regular vitamins and getting plenty of rest.

Once you start to feel better, starting off with moderate aerobic exercise plan every other day is recommended so you can rate how you feel on your days off. Aim for 50 percent to 60 percent of your maximum heart rate and build up gradually from there. After a week of feeling better, add in some strength training workouts, again starting at about 50 percent to 70 percent of the intensity before you became sick. This form of progressive training enables your body to get back into the groove so that your body does not become overly stressed. Remember, you just went through a stressful activity of fighting off illness.

Be smart about your body. Just think that “pushing it” will really affect your ability to get well in the long run. Results will only be achieved if the body is strong and healthy.

Tagged as: American College of Sports Medicine, Fitness, Health, Heart rate, Physical exercise, Shopping, weight loss, Weight training