I am NEVER ill. Honest!
I have had a few headaches, stomach pains, gains pains haha... just joking... but I am sometimes very sore after a good gym session. However, today, as much as it pains me to say this...grudgingly and reluctantly I admit, I... am ill.
I felt something working on me and refused to acknowledge it until I woke up yesterday morning; snotty, rotten and bed-ridden due to be in my first job for 5 hours of staff training in the morning and then another shift in my other job straight after. It's safe to say this was not going to happen. I managed to make it through my staff training not being able to talk past my croaky and flemmy throat, amongst other general flu symptoms, but I had to call in sick for my other job. So I headed home, crashed out on the sofa and cocooned myself in a blanket with a big bowl of granola and berries, smothered in sticky honey, with a side of green tea with even more honey in, a squeeze of lemon, and boulders of cinnamon floating on the top. And this was all after having a greens shake!
I was run down. I have had only one day off from the gym in 13 weeks, been sticking to a very strict prep-style diet and worked two jobs around it. I decided that I was going to take the day off training and allowed myself to enjoy a good buffet in the evening. The only downside was I had lost all my taste - cheese tasted like bland, thick mush. I could make out hints of spices in the Indian range and sugar in the Chinese food. Even chocolate just tasted like sugary milk! As you can imagine, no taste is one of the worst things to happen to a massive foodie; especially someone who rarely indulges in all this yummy goodness which was on offer. What a waste!
Today, I am back on the good stuff though. I have called in sick again for work and I am pretty sure training is still going to be put off today.
As a fitness fanatic, maybe you're one yourself or you know somebody who is, no training is difficult! For me, it's something I enjoy doing so I miss it if I don't go. My eating and my sleeping is usually not the same if I don't train either - I sleep more, better and easier if I have trained, and I have a bigger appetite. But, more significantly for me, I think it's habit. I am so used to just getting up and training, or training after work, then when I don't I suddenly have all this spare time to do what I like with. Moreover, I feel guilty for not going.
This is why today I am covering if you should or shouldn't train when you're sick.
You get ill and devastation occurs - you've been doing SO well on this new program, seeing great results and eating clean - do you skip the gym for a nap or go HAM in the gym?
The answer is dependent on the cause.
Exercising with a cold may be OK, but if you have a fever, it's a different matter. For instance, you risk the danger of raising your temperature internally if you already have a fever. Another example of illness are symptoms of fatigue, which obviously would be made much worse if you train. "A neck check is a way to determine your level of activity during a respiratory illness," says Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of respiratory care at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. "If your symptoms are above the neck, including a sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, and tearing eyes, then it's OK to exercise," he says. "If your symptoms are below the neck, such as coughing, body aches, fever, and fatigue, then it's time to hang up the running shoes until these symptoms subside."
According to Precision Nutrition:
"Let’s get one thing clear from the start: there’s a difference between “working out” and “physically moving the body.”
A structured workout routine — one where you’re breathing heavily, sweating, working hard, and feeling some discomfort — awakens a stress response in the body.
When we’re healthy, our bodies can easily adapt to that stress. Over time, this progressive adaptation is precisely what makes us fitter and stronger.
But when we’re sick, the stress of a tough workout can be more than our immune systems can handle.
Still, there’s no reason to dive for the couch the minute you feel the sniffles coming on. Unless you’re severely out of shape, non-strenuous movement shouldn’t hurt you — and it might even help.
What do I mean by “non-strenuous movement”?
Well, it might include:
walking (preferably outdoors),
low intensity bike riding (again, outdoors),
gardening,
practicing T’ai Chi.
In fact, all of these activities have been shown to boost immunity.
They aren’t intense enough to create serious immune-compromising stress on the body. Instead, they often help you feel better and recover faster while feeling under the weather.
That’s why Dr. Berardi often recommends low intensity non-panting “cardio” when suffering from colds. Done with minimal heart rate elevation, preferably outside, these activities seem to offer benefits.
In summary:
- Consistent, moderate exercise and resistance training can strengthen the immune system over time. So, by all means, train hard while you’re healthy.
- But single high intensity or long duration exercise sessions can interfere with immune function. So take it easy when you’re feeling sick."
Rule of thumb is: do what you can do and, if you can't, then DON'T and STOP. The chances are if you're finding it hard to get out of bed you probably won't find a treadmill easy either. If skipping completely is a big no-no for you then drop the intensity - instead of sprinting, walk or jog. Simply reduce your effort to 50% or swap that bootcamp class for a yoga sesh.
However, it's one thing if you decide to exercise when sick, but how do you keep from spreading it to others in the gym? You may be feeling fine to train but with a bug it's probably best for you and others to avoid the gym; a sweaty, hot room which is usually over-crowded with fans blowing germs everywhere is not the best place to go when sick.
The good news: fit people recover quicker than their counter-parts. Listen to your body. If you feel up to it then give it a go and if it feels better than that's a bonus. If not, take the opportunity for some downtime; which if filled appropriately and suited to you, then will probably be an even more superior cure than over-the-counter tablets.
For more info on whether you should train your poorly self today check out the Precision Nutrition guide here.