You're Sick, Should You Workout Or Stay In Bed?

You can't avoid it. It's flu season and chances are you might not be feeling your best pretty soon... if not already.

But does that mean your workout routine needs to go out the window? Are you hurting or helping by exercising while sick?

First, it depends on how sick you are. If you've got a mild cough and a little sniffle, you don't need to quarantine yourself and go on bed rest for days. In these circumstances, doing low impact exercise can actually make you feel better and give your immune system a boost.

If you're feeling lightheaded, achy, sick to your stomach, or have a temperature over 99 degrees, it's best to take a day off. 

Working out causes stress to your body. Normally, that's perfectly fine, we can easily adapt to the stress. But when your system is already compromised by an infection or virus, the added stress of working out can prolong your illness or make it worse.

That's why even if you just have a light cold, it's best to stick to low impact exercise. Walking, low intensity biking, light swimming, or yoga are great options. They get your heart rate up a bit without overly stressing your system. Crossfit or some other super heavy lifting session isn't a great idea, even with a mild sickness.

Here's an easy way to remember: If you're sick in your neck or above, go ahead and do a workout you love. If you feel bad below your chest, get in your bed and give it rest. Okay, it's not the best rhyme, but it is true!

After you've recovered, remember that it may take a little while to get back into your pre-sick shape. It's best to go a bit light on your first workout back, then slowly add on until you're feeling your fit self again. Don't try to push to the limit right away, you may decrease your immune response while being more prone to injury.

Lastly, no matter how sick you are, try to stay out of the gym. Even if you don't feel that bad, nobody wants to see you wipe your nose then hit the free weights. You'd probably want the person coughing their lungs out to stay off the treadmill, so you should do the same.

Instead, go for a walk or jog or do an exercise at home. You can stay fit, experiment with non-gym workouts, and wrack up some cold karma by keeping others away from your germs.