"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."Īn uncomplicated cold in an adult should be totally gone in about seven days, says Schachter, the author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu.Ī flu that develops complications such as bronchitis or sinusitis can last two weeks, he says. "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. "A neck check is a way to determine your level of activity during a respiratory illness," adds Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of respiratory care at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Take the intensity down or do a regenerative activity like yoga or Pilates because if you don't feel great, it may not be the best day to do your sprints," says Coopersmith, the author of Fit and Female: The Perfect Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type. "If you are feeling kind of bad, you may want to consider a walk instead of a run.
You really need to know your limits, she says. But if you have any bronchial tightness, it's not advisable to be working out." Personal trainer and exercise physiotherapist Geralyn Coopersmith, senior manager of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute in New York, has this to add: "The general rule is that if it is just a little sniffle and you take some medications and don't feel so sick, it's OK to work out. "Most people who are fit tend to feel worse if they stop their exercise, but if you have got a bad case of the flu and can't lift your head off the pillow, then chances are you won't want to go run around the block." Maharam's rule of thumb for exercising when sick? "Do what you can do, and if you can't do it, then don't," he says. If you have a fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, sit this one out. "The danger is exercising and raising your body temperature internally if you already have a fever, because that can make you even sicker," he tells WebMD. Maharam, MD, a New York City-based sports medicine expert. For example, exercising with a cold may be OK, but if you've got a fever, hitting the gym is a definite no-no.įever is the limiting factor, says Lewis G. The answer depends on what ails you, experts tell WebMD.
What should you do? Should you skip the treadmill or forsake that Pilates class for a late afternoon nap? Will it be hard to get started again if you skip a day or two? Exercising When Sick: Should You or Shouldn't You? Then all of a sudden you are waylaid by a cold or flu. You have been so great about your new exercise routine, rarely missing a day since you started up again.
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