I am often asked, ‘Should I exercise when I am sick?', and/or, ‘How long after an illness should I begin exercising?'
I answer according to the person, their fitness level, how long they have they been exercising before the illness, and how many times per week they currently exercise and, naturally, what the nature of the illness is.
The main area of concern is how exercise would affect an individual's health. In other words, would the symptoms worsen (and other complications arise), and would exercising delay recovery?
There's a chance strenuous exercise might make the symptoms worse and even increase the severity of an illness.
The general rule of thumb is this: for symptoms above the neck – such as a head cold, runny, stuffy nose or sore throat – it is okay to exercise moderately. A person who is regularly exercising at an average of three sessions per week could safely continue moderate activity, provided there is no fever.
Moderate exercise consists of walking rather than running, and low impact rather than high impact activity.
The often held view that exercise can help beat a cold has no medical evidence as support. Ignoring symptoms and training hard can sometimes worsen the symptoms.
On the other hand, moderate exercise may help relieve nasal congestion by expelling mucous and boosting immunity. It is all-important to listen to your body.
If there is a fever present, chest congestion, joint or muscle soreness, vomiting, diarrhoea or swollen glands, the condition is likely to be more severe than a cold. Exercising is definitely not recommended until these symptoms subside and the fever has gone. Rest is essential.
Listening to your body, training regularly and enjoying your training without overtraining – especially when you are unwell – is the key to a successful training program and keeping yourself fit and healthy.