I know you are all working hard at building fitness into your daily routine. Once you start seeing the results of your hard work it will be that much easier to stick to it. Once that habit is set it is hard to let anything get in the way, including illness.
I am frequently asked what my opinions are about working out when sick. Should you push through the illness and keep your workout routine? Or should you sit out for a couple of planned sessions and rest? The answer isn’t always a straight forward one. It depends on you and the severity of your sickness.
For those of us that really look forward to our workouts, taking a break for illness can make us feel worse.
For the run-of-the-mill cold or flu, consider your symptoms. If your symptoms are above your neck (sore throat, runny nose, dry cough and sneezing), I say go for it and do what you can. Even it is a matter of going through the motions with limited effort the effort isn’t completely lost. It allows you to continue with your routine and will help prevent you from falling off the “fitness bandwagon”. When training out of a fitness facility be considerate of the other gym-goers and remember to clean down everything you touch or if you have a constant cough and it is difficult to keep your bodily fluids in-check, maybe consider an at-home workout so you aren’t passing along your germs.
If you do choose to train through your illness, be aware of your body and your symptoms. Illness is not a time to attempt personal records or to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
I suggest sitting out of your training routine if your symptoms are below the neck and include chest congestion, fever or upset stomach. If you can’t lift your head off the pillow chances are you need all your energy to recover from this illness and don’t need to waste it on the workout. Plan to reintroduce fitness in small doses as you start to get your energy back and begin to feel better.
If you do choose to sit this one out, don’t worry about derailing your progress. As you get back into your routine, your body and muscles will remember what they were doing very quickly and it won’t be long before you are back to where you left off.
For any illness beyond the common cold or flu, review your fitness plans with your doctor and follow his or her advice.
Illness is our body’s way of telling us we need to slow down or take a break. Don’t be afraid to listen to it and rest when needed.
