Navigating Exercise and Illness: Finding Balance for Your Health

Apr 13

Navigating Exercise and Illness: Finding Balance for Your Health

With the arrival of spring, the season of allergies is upon us, and it's not uncommon to hear sneezes and sniffles. But amidst the congestion, the question remains: should you still lace up your sneakers and hit the gym when you feel under the weather?

Heading to the gym or a group fitness class when you are sick and risking getting others sick is a no-brainer. Don’t do it. If we learned anything from the experience of 2020, if we are contagious, don’t be around others when possible.

However, there are plenty of ways to exercise without being indoors or around others, so this question arises: Can I still do indoor cycling at home or run?

Determining whether to exercise while sick is a puzzle. Certain situations, like experiencing vomiting, battling a migraine, or nursing an injury, clearly call for a timeout from physical activity. But what about those gray areas?

Here's a helpful mantra: "If it's in your head, go ahead. If it's in your chest, take a rest."

The concept is simple: if your symptoms are primarily above the neck—think sore throat, stuffy nose, sneezing, or a mild cold—you're generally good to go. Again, be mindful of others; if you suspect your ailment is contagious, opt for solo outdoor exercise to avoid spreading it, or do a home workout. Consider dialing down the intensity of your workout to accommodate your body's reduced capacity.

Tune in to your body's signals and respond with care.

However, one red flag warrants a hard pass: a fever. When your temperature spikes, it's a sign that your body needs rest, not reps. Pushing through with exercise can lead to dangerous consequences, like fainting mid-workout. Also, when we work out or exercise, we slightly increase our body temperature when working out, as evidenced by sweating, our natural cooling system. So, until the fever subsides, prioritize rest and recovery. For reference, a fever is usually defined as 100°F or higher.

On the flip side, if your symptoms settle in your chest—manifesting as a chest cough, chills, gastrointestinal (GI) distress, or body aches—listen to your body's plea for rest. These signs indicate that your immune system is battling something more substantial, and exercise could exacerbate the issue rather than alleviate it.

GI distress is a catchall term that includes any symptoms related to the GI tract and can include constipation, bloating, reflux, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramping. However, symptoms such as constipation, bloating, and reflux may be alleviated by exercise. You know yourself best. And, while this isn’t the “chest” per se, that mantra is related to the neck down.

But what about those days when you wake up feeling slightly off-kilter, perhaps nursing a headache from the previous night's festivities? In such cases, where contagiousness isn't a concern, a walk or a stretching class may be just the ticket. Even a brief walk around the block or the park can work wonders for clearing your head and boosting your mood.

Ultimately, balancing exercise and rest is vital to supporting your overall well-being. Sometimes, that means hitting the gym with all you’ve got, while other times, it calls for surrendering to sleep, or at least resting and listening to a podcast, or having mindless television in the background.

Tune in to your body's signals and respond with care. Have a regular exercise routine and stick to it, but take that rest break you need when you have an illness. Stay healthy, friends.

Real World Nutrition Refreshed: I am revitalizing and updating my archive of blogs and re-publishing them. Stay tuned as I review, update, refresh, and re-share these posts to provide you with even more valuable information on nutrition, health, and overall wellness—and keep things timely. A portion of this blog was originally posted just one year ago, on March 21, 2021, and is updated here.