Should you exercise when feeling under the weather?

Having a fever is a signal that the body is under stress, trying to fight off illness. If you aren’t feeling 100%, take your temperature before exercising. If 99.5 degrees or above, experts advise against working out. Physical exertion elevates body temperature naturally, and with a fever, even more so. Exercising under these conditions can further tax the immune system and hinder the ability to recover.

If you have no fever, most experts agree that if you wish to exercise and have cold symptoms such as stuffy nose without fever, watery eyes, sneezing or scratchy throat, working out moderately is okay. However, anything beyond this should be checked by your doctor.

Moderate exercise has been shown to help white blood cells circulate more effectively, boosting the immune system to help fight off infections, while over-training can actually suppress the immune system and help bacteria or a virus take hold.

Watch for muscle aches, cough

When experiencing more serious symptoms such as coughing, fever, muscle aches, nausea, chills or body aches, it is not advisable to exercise. Muscle aches can be a sign of a viral illness, and a sore throat can be due to bacterial infection, or strep, a potentially serious condition if not treated, and is contagious. Persistent or hacking cough with illness, especially if mucus is present, interferes with breathing, and can decrease lung capacity. If the cough is due to infection of the airways, avoid exercise.

Remember to drink enough water. Illness increases risk of dehydration, especially if you are experiencing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, or have a fever. When your temperature rises above normal (98.6), body fluids decrease by 5-10%, increasing susceptibility to complications associated with the illness you are experiencing. Dehydration also reduces body salts, upping risk of muscle cramps, spasms and, in severe cases, even heart arrhythmia. It can take several days to completely re-hydrate the body, so if you suspect dehydration, increase your water intake and avoid exercise during this time.

Check your heart

It’s a good idea to know what your resting pulse rate normally is, as an elevated pulse rate can be a sign that the body is fighting a bacterial or viral infection. Your body usually always gives us warning signs when it is not running at peak capacity, we just need to be aware and respond accordingly.

Lastly, although it’s been said thousands of times, it bears repeating: One of the best ways to keep from catching a cold is to wash your hands more often and keep them away from your eyes and nose.