Dear dailymuscle,
Is it OK to exercise when I’m having a cold? I’ve got a stuffed nose and the occasional sneeze and I’m dying to hit the gym!
~yogachick_82
Dear yogachick,
Bird flu season is here, but then again.. that’s got nothing to do with you. :P So, you have a cold, but it doesn’t really have to create chaos in your fitness routine.
Most people who have a cold should be able to continue exercising - as long as they’re up for it. I don’t know of any evidence that exercising during a cold is bad for you, says Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.
Now, isn’t that music to your ears? If you suffer from asthma, however, then you may wanna take it easy. The common cold can cause swelling in the airways - couple this with exercise, and the results would not be pleasant at all.
If your body aches and you feel feverish and you feel like crawling into bed and hiding underneath your comforter - then listen to what your body is trying to tell you - It’s best to rest and recover.
As a general rule of thumb - if the symptoms of the cold are only from the neck up (sniffing, sneezing, blocked nose), then it’s probably OK to exercise, but stick to mild/moderate activity. If the illness is throughout your body, then it’s best to take it easy.
Get well soon!
Your friend and coach,
DM
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
hi, do u take a week off for a break from your usual weight lifting regime? I understand we should do it every 12 week to rest our body totally. So what do u do in that week? am thinking of yago and some cardio.. hmm what about you?
steveneleven:
A 1 week break after 12 weeks of exercise seems a bit too frequent to me. Also, are your workouts THAT hardcore, to the extent that you’re pushing yourself to your limits that you need a break so often?
I currently workout on a 2 days on, 1 day off routine. (Mon & Tues, Thurs & Fri, and sometimes Sun) which provides enough rest for me to cope with my workouts. And as for my ‘break’ - I tend to take a 3-week break every once a year, and coincide this with the year-end holidays. And this break normally means a COMPLETE BREAK from exercise. I won’t step foot into the gym at all. Think of it as a vacation from the gym.
i haven’t gone to the gym since.. college last year. i’m in uni now, so i’m goin to take advantage of the gym. but i dun wan to have heavy weights training. maybe just some cardio, and somethin to lose a bit of weight. can u suggest something ? i haven’t done any heavy exercise for like.. 1 year. LOL. thanks in advance
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