Don’t be ill-advised about hitting the gym
Physicians weigh in on when to hit the gym and when to stay home if you aren’t feeling well.
Physicians weigh in on when you should visit the gym and when you should stay home if you aren’t feeling well.
Maybe hitting the gym is a new routine following a New Year’s resolution. Or maybe that workout is already a habit and holds a dedicated spot on the schedule.
No matter the motivation, what happens when cold-like symptoms start to make an appearance? It is time to shut down that workout, or should you try to sweat out the illness?
Berks County physicians shared advice on when it is OK to keep that workout on the schedule and when it is in a person’s best interest to take a few days off to let the body recover.
Exercise provides health benefits, but working out while sick will not cure symptoms or the initial cause. There is no truth to the common advice to “sweat out a cold.”
Dr. Mary E. Kelleher, chief medical officer at Berks Community Health Center, said exercising while sick can make symptoms worse.
Too sick to hit the gym?
Exercise will not cure an illness, but there are instances when it is possible to keep a workout routine on schedule. Every patient is different, and routines vary.
“It’s best to talk about their symptoms first and the severity of those symptoms,” said Dr. Lisa Gallagher, family medicine physician with Tower Health Medical Group.
After determining the symptoms, Gallagher then discusses the workout routine and its intensity to better determine if it is OK for the patient to continue exercising.
It is always important for people to listen to their body. If someone feels well enough to work out, they most likely can.
“Your body’s not going to let you do something to harm yourself,” said Dr. Jorge Scheirer, internal medicine/primary care physician at St. Luke’s Hamburg Primary Care. “Let your body guide you in what you’re capable of.”
A general rule mentioned by physicians is a workout is OK when the symptoms are above the neck. When the symptoms are below the neck, it is best to take some time off from exercising.
Above-the-neck symptoms are those associated with a common cold: runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or a minor sore throat.
“I would likely say to listen to your body and to continue your routine, but at a lower intensity and work your way back to normal as you start to feel better,” Gallagher said. “If you have thought about whether you should or shouldn’t work out with how you’re feeling, then you maybe should give it a break for that day.”
While the person may feel well enough to continue with his workout, when symptoms include coughing and sneezing regularly it is best to avoid the gym so as not to possibly infect others.
It is important to stay hydrated while working out when sick as the body could be losing fluids due to the illness and symptoms. Physicians advise listening to the body and self-regulating so as not to push the body too far when already in a weakened state.
Stay home
Below-the-neck symptoms are a no-go for working out, according to physicians. Symptoms include chest congestion, a hacking cough and an upset stomach.
“In general, if you’re feeling very sick with a fever, cough, stomach issue, it’s not just OK to skip a workout, but a good idea,” Kelleher said.
Some symptoms should put an immediate end to a workout.
“Shortness of breath is a red flag,” Scheirer said. “You should stop your workout or dramatically reduce the level of exertion if you are experiencing shortness of breath. Feeling weak, lightheaded or really washed out are also red flags.”
Two other symptoms that may not be obvious indicators are a fever and gastrointestinal issues. In both cases the body is already losing fluids, which would increase during a workout and make dehydration far more likely.
“When you’re ill, if you notice you don’t feel right, you’re better off skipping your workout that day,” Scheirer said. “With gastrointestinal illnesses you may risk dehydration, especially if you are not a person who hydrates during your workouts.”
More harm than good
There are consequences to going to the gym or participating in physical activities while sick. The obvious danger is the possibility of infecting other gym-goers even if machines and equipment are wiped down.
For Kelleher, the consequences of working out while sick bring to mind the 1997 NBA finals in which Michael Jordan was praised for pushing through flulike symptoms to compete. Not only did he risk infecting his teammates, but he risked injuring himself.
“Injury is really possible,” Kelleher said. “When you’re weak, there is more of a danger of possibly slipping off of the treadmill or falling off of equipment.”
Taking some time off to rest and recover from an illness will not be a major setback to a workout routine.
“With it being so soon after New Year, people want to keep going and don’t want to skip a workout because they’re afraid it will break the habit,” Gallagher said. “Taking a break for a few days won’t set you back. It’s important to not overdo it.”
Fighting illness
The best way to avoid having to take a break from the gym is to avoid getting sick.
“Regularly exercising does improve your immune system,” Kelleher said. “When you are active and physically fit, you do tend to get sick less often.”
Even a small amount of activity helps.
“A good 30 minutes a few times a week helps boost your immune system,” Gallagher said.
No matter how regular the workouts or how strong the immune system, it is still essential to take time off to recover from illness. It is also important to ease back into a regular routine once recovered.
“On the first day back you might feel as if you are a little bit out of the routine, but in a few days you’ll start to feel better,” Kelleher said. “A short acute illness in which you take a little time off is not a major interruption to your workout goals. Take some time to rest, and in a couple of days you’ll be back to where you were.”