Can We Exercise When We Have A Cold?

We all get sick, some more and some less. But you’ve surely suffered from a cold, fever, or sore throat in the last few months or years. So… Can we exercise when we have a cold? We will tell you later.

When we are sick, our energy decreases and we feel little active, we just want to stay in bed, sleep and little else. However, some theories indicate that, if we move and sweat, the faster we will heal. Let’s take a closer look.

To exercise or not to exercise, that is the question

On the one hand, it could be said that, having little energy, we are “exempt” from playing sports. However, this could also be an excuse when it is very cold or very hot, it rains or there are problems in transportation.

On the other hand, we have to be aware that, if we go to the gym and we are sick, we can infect all our colleagues (the same at work).

If the first day you don’t cheer up, try to do it the next, as this will help eliminate germs faster. Why? Although there is no scientific evidence, it is popularly believed that one of the ways to remove impurities is through perspiration. And how do we perspire? Moving.

In addition, this will help you improve your immune system, and it will prevent you from getting sick again quickly. Based on this belief, you will be able to say goodbye to:

• Colds
• Cough.
• The flu.
• Sinusitis.
• Tonsillitis.
• Ear infections.
• Sore throat.

When our defenses are faced with external attacks, they fight so that they do not penetrate and wreak havoc. However, once the bacteria or virus has settled in the body, we have to eliminate it in some way.

Should we exercise when we are sick?

Sometimes we confuse the word “exercise” with spending hours in the gym or running a marathon. And it is not necessarily so.

A complete exercise routine, where you work hard, perspire, and then feel discomfort in the muscles, awakens a stress response in the body. If we are healthy, the body can “cope” with this stress and adapt without problems. If we are sick, the answer will be even more negative and the weakness greater.

Now, it’s not good for you to stay in bed all day, covered up to your head. It is popularly believed that it is convenient to perform quiet activities, which do not increase stress levels, but at the same time, allow you to eliminate the disease through perspiration.

Among the exercises that we can do when we are sick are:

• Walk outdoors.

• Riding a bike outside the home.

• Do gardening practices.
• practice taichi or yoga, since they are exercises of moderate intensity that help us balance the mind and body.

The activities have been shown to provide varied beneficial effects that reduce overall morbidity and mortality.

How do you know when an exercise is intense enough to practice when you are sick? It all depends on your body. Listen to the signals it offers you, how much effort you have to make, how strong you are at each moment, etc. And, of course, consult your doctor before doing any activity, to know if you can or should do it or not.

Remember that physical activity has a direct effect on the immune system.  The next time you get sick, do not lie down, do some movements that allow you to expel the virus without affecting your defenses.