survey: exercise while under the weather

[BevP]

I've been fighting a cold for over a week now and have no energy http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif. I have not exercised at all, though I'm thinking about a gentle walk later today. There are different suggestions to relax and let the body heal or to sweat it out. Now I wonder, what does everyone else do? And how do you decide if you'll work out or not?

[Missi]

I don't like to work out when I have a cold. I find it seems to make me feel worse. I always seem to get sick when I haven't been taking care of myself-- too much stress and not enough sleep. I always feel like getting sick might be my body's way of telling me to slow down. I take several days off, try to rest up and the slowly get back to my exercise routine.

[lindrusso]

For me, it really depends on the type of cold and the stage it's in. There's one cold I seem to get all the time that makes me really tired the first few days - so I take it easy and rest in hopes that I can fight it off - sometimes it works and sometimes not.

Once I actually have the cold, if it's in the chest and involves a bad cough, I usually don't exercise much because the increased breathing makes me cough my lungs out! If it is relatively mild, I try not to exercise out doors if it's cool/cold - the coolness makes my nose run like crazy and also aggravates a cough.

So, I guess it just depends. I feel that if you are fatigued, your body is probably trying to tell you something and that taking it easy is probably a good idea - not that you shouldn't take a light walk if you feel up to it.

Hope you feel better soon! I dread the winter cold season!!

[BevP]

Well, I went for a short walk. Only 30 minutes and, man, did it feel like all of it was up hill. So we'll see tomorrow. Thanks for your opinions. It always helps to hear others' perspectives. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just coddling myself too much or working too hard and making it all worse!

[cookgirl]

Ick. Me too Bev.
I hate not exercising, but I know it'll give me a relapse. I'm having one of those congestion colds. I try to just make up for it by doing regular everyday things the hard way. I do a lot of very short activities. Part of me knows I should be on the couch, but the other part of me has serious cabin fever!

[jd]

Back in my fitness days, we were told that if the cold is only in your head (no I'm not referring to a hypochondriac) then go ahead a do light exercise. If the cold has settled in the chest, then hold off until it's gone. Unfortunately I don't remember why!

[andreajackson]

I don't work out when I have a cold because I find that it is too difficult! For one thing I don't know who to successfully walk without my nose running? Another thing is that I just don't have the normal amount of energy therefore I get tired easily. So I just try and relax and rest to get rid of the cold.

[food girl]

Exercising always seems to make me feel better. The only time I don't exercise is if I am running a fever or if I have some kind of GI thing going on.

It seems to really help when it is cold out and my nose runs until I have ..er... um...what I call snot-sicles. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif

I don't always feel great at the time, but boy do I feel better the next day.

[Emily Catherine Horton]

I pretty much ALWAYS feel worse if I don't exercise (I'm one of those addicted runner people), and I've heard that it's fine to work out if you have a cold, but not if you have a fever (I tried that once in college in 85 degree weather and felt like I was going to die when I got back an hour later)I usually actually feel better after exercising if I just have a cold and nasal congestion; it seems to clear my head. Hope you all feel better soon!