Working out while sick

"I can't work out I am sick..." I have heard that a lot lately (even more since I work in a school) I however am a firm believer that you can in fact work out while sick, within reason.

I am one of those people tonight. I woke up with a massive headache and a crazy sore throat. I have downed 96oz of water already and decided to do some calisthenics instead of my scheduled run.

I have always been a firm believer that you can work out while sick, just stick to Anaerobic exercise instead of Aerobic. That means hit the weights not the road.

I recently was reading articles to see if my "theory" held any water. While researching I came across an article published by CNN that talked about the  "neck rule". I found this rule extremely interesting since it described my "sickness" perfectly.The article stated that if your symptoms are all located above your neck (hence the neck rule) you most likely have a head cold and you can workout. If you have a fever or chest congestion you may be getting the flu and you should rest.

Now I will offer up a free pass to anyone who is suffering flu like symptoms but having the sniffles is no excuse to sit on your booty all night and reach for the remote instead of the weights.

In general, those who exercise on a regular basis tend to get sick less often than those who are more sedentary. Regular exercise can contribute to less colds, or less days spent sniffling and coughing if you do catch a cold.  However, even those of us who work out, eat properly, and hydrate our bodies properly are subject to a cold every once in a while.

I will wrap up by saying this; use your head...listen to your body! If you are just feeling a bit under the weather you can push yourself, it may even help cut down on the amount of tissues found in your trash can.

Do you work out while sick?

Ciao with a sore throat,

Alexis