To Exercise or Not to Exercise While Sick?!
If you’re feeling under the weather — stuffy nose, cough, fever, aches and pains — should you hit the gym or are you better of hitting the couch? And what about if you’re struggling with a chronic or more serious illness — not just a simple cold? A general rule of thumb to follow is this: listen to your body. If you’re exhausted and feel like a nap would serve you better than a work out, you should pay attention and slow down. After all, fighting off an illness of any kind takes energy, which means you shouldn’t try to overdo it and may need to give your body a break. That said, there are times when exercising while sick is perfectly fine, and even preferable. If you do exercise while sick, keep in mind that you should take it a little easier than normal and not push yourself too hard (and, of course, if you’ve got a contagious illness, skip sharing your germs at the gym and opt for solo exercise — like a brisk walk — instead). Here we’ve outlined some simple guidelines to follow when deciding whether you should continue exercising while sick. You CAN Exercise With These Illnesses …