Diet/Exercise when sick?

I'm a week into a bad cold/flu.  I am keeping my calories down again and moving a little more.  I wonder what others do in this situation esp. as far as exercise?  I thought I would start a little 10-15 minute workout today and see how I feel.  I'm a little low on energy and still stuffed up.

I wouldn't do too much while you're sick. I think walking is about as much energy exertion as you might want. Remember, your body is repairing itself and until you've fully recovered it needs plenty of rest. If you're still restricting calories, your body will need even more rest due to the lack of nutrients its receiving. 

Take it easy. Recover first. 

I hope you feel better.

I had the flu back in September and tried to work-out in the beginning.  I thought I was going to die!  I ended up taking the week off to get better.  The sooner you get better, the sooner you'll be able to get back to working out.  Just rest, get plenty of fluids!

just rest - your body is burning more calories than normal anyway, to fight off the infection.

I agree 100% just rest. A few weeks ago I ended up with a really bad dose of the flu, to the point I was vomiting anything I tried to eat and couldn't walk around for a couple days. The first day I got sick I felt ok but I pushed myself to do exercise and it wasn't a good result. I ended up not thinking about diet or exercise after that, as soon as I felt a little better I went back into it full throttle and now I am really tired, and I'm not exercising as much as I used to and I am finding it hard to keep on track with calories. I really should have just kept resting as long as I could cuz I am struggling now.

I guess going to work is enough.  I'll just try some squats without weights and some pushups tonight and leave it at that.

When I'm ill I have to eat even if I don't feel like it because of the diabetes. On sick days I get something in but not my normal amount. I happen to be sick at the moment and all I wanted tonight was a baked potato and a few potato skins. When I got the potato I ate about a 1/4 of it and left the rest. It was plenty. I will probably be under my calorie goal for the day but that's ok. Once I'm well again I will be back to normal eating.

As for exercise if I'm pretty sick I don't. When I'm feeling better even though I may still be recovering I will try it out and see if I feel up to it.

I'd say at this stage of your illness your probably not up to formal exercise. Once you are well you can once again exercise.

Being sick is a special case.  You have an excuse not to exercise.  Better than an excuse, think of it this way:  you exercise because it's good for your body.  You rest when sick because it's good for your body.

I've been down this road.  You want to exercise because you don't want to break your pattern.  You feel guilty because you know you're "supposed" to.  You're not supposed to.  The best thing for you would be to let your body recooperate.  Excerise is stress.  Now is not the time to be putting your body through unneccessary stress.

To vanexxag's point, I was eating constantly when I was sick.  I think it was part the fact that I was bored out of my mind, and part genuine hunger.  My body was fighting off sickness, and I was burning calories.  Despite all I ate, I weighed in the same after 5 days of sickness as I did before.  Many people weigh in less because the illness takes their appetite.  My advisement is to practice intuitive eating: eat healthy, sensible things when you are hungry.  Don't count calories when sick - you don't want to eat less than your body needs either.  Just let your body tell you when you need to eat, and eat sensible things.  Get plenty of vitamins (of course vitamin C is on the top of the list), and don't overexert yourself.  That is the best way to get healthier quickly, then you can ease yourself back into exercise.  Don't overdo it the first few days back, you could end up compromising your immune system, again.

In summary, don't feel guilty because you're not exercising when your sick.  It's not an excuse, it's a genuine health concern.  By not exercising, you are doing what is right for your body.

--J

Hey everyone I know that everyone is basically referring to flu types illnesses...but in my case I have stomach issues (still awaiting diagnosis - going through tons of testing); the symptoms range from intestinal pain(not IBS) to gas (embarassing!).  So what would you say to working out during stomach pain...I used to eat very healthy and workout a lot...it's very frustrating :o(

Original Post by mayteegoddess:

Hey everyone I know that everyone is basically referring to flu types illnesses...but in my case I have stomach issues (still awaiting diagnosis - going through tons of testing); the symptoms range from intestinal pain(not IBS) to gas (embarassing!).  So what would you say to working out during stomach pain...I used to eat very healthy and workout a lot...it's very frustrating :o(

I think your best bet is to monitor your diet very closely.  Eliminate or reduce foods that may disrupt your stomach.  Ramp up the foods that you find soothing.  Your doctor is probably taking a good look at your diet too.  Make sure he has a clear, complete picture of what you are eating.  If you find a specific food is very soothing or bothersome, let your doctor know.  Most of the information that's going to help you is going to come from your doctor.

You obviously don't want to put too much stress on your abdomen - you could end up injuring yourself.  So I'd see keep it real light on the abdomen.  Be careful of other exercises that don't work the abdomen directly, but may pull on it or cause strain.  Pull-ups come to mind.  As a rule of thumb, if it doesn't feel right, don't do it.

On the other hand, you could probably get away with certain abdominal exercises - slowly and with low reps - provided they don't make you uncomfortable.  Crunches, twists, and other core exercises might actually help you feel better, if you take them real easy.  Don't overexert yourself, treat it like recooperative therapy, rather than hardcore exercise.  Cardio-type exercise is probably your best bet, find something that doesn't cause you pain.  Bicycling, for example, works the abdomen without causing a lot of stress.  Jogging will likely cause your stomach to move too much, but a slow-paced walk is probably fine.

The most important think is to pay attention to the messages your body is sending you.  If it's uncomfortable to do any exercise, don't do any exercise.

--J

Foods that may help calm an upset stomach:

• Bananas
• Gingerale
• Tea
• Peppermint or peppermint tea

Eating smaller meals more often may also keep your stomach from stretching, which may mean less pain.

Foods to avoid:

• Coffee
• Onions
• Milk
• Chocolate
• Fried Foods
• Baked Beans
• Alcohol
• Anything prone to causing gas or bowel disruption (like Taco Bell food)

Hope this helps!

--J

Happy recovering but take it easy!  According to the CDC you're bouncing back from the H1N1!  I was bored too but my body told me pretty quickly that I was not ready for a high impact work-out.  Plus I did not go to a public gym as I didn't want to be one of the many horribly irresponsible people already there hacking and snotting H1N1 all over the equipment, heck, I probably caught it there! LOL.  When I started feeling better I started out with floor, ball, and light weight exercises in my living room and last Sunday took a nice long walk with some jogging mixed in.  When all of my symptoms were long long gone I headed back to the gym but wiped down everything I used.

Do what you can, don't push yourself or you'll just stay sick for a lot lot longer, and depending on your age and other health issues, could be putting yourself at risk for a serious respitory infection.

Get all better soon!!

yeah, I drop exercise all together if I have so much as a cold. I'll just end up more sick if I push myself. I just watch my eating more carefully.

My doctor told me that if I felt like exercising, I was not to sick to exercise. With that in mind, never go into a public place such as a gym when you have a fever. You don't want to spread a disease.

Original Post by dwgeo104:

My doctor told me that if I felt like exercising, I was not to sick to exercise. With that in mind, never go into a public place such as a gym when you have a fever. You don't want to spread a disease.

To add to not going to the gym with a fever:  they have done studies and found that one is still contagious even 24 hours AFTER your temp goes back to normal.  So give it at least 2 days after your temp goes back to normal before going back to the gym.

It's best not to work out at all while you're sick. I had pneumonia back in February for a MONTH because I still continued to run even though I was sick. It was a month of absolute hell!! Really, it's not worth it.. Whatever you have shouldn't last for more than a few days. And on the off chance that you do gain a bit, think of it this way - if you gained it fast, you'll lose it fast. ;)

dont do anything when your sick,take a leave from work, diet and exercise.take rest all the time and eat normal.. That is the time when we have to agree that health is wealth!!

Thanks for the information Jaminv!!!

I rarely fall ill, but when I do, I completely lose my appetite and ability to do anything other than lay in bed and sleep. I usually drink a lot of water and have a lot of soup. I make a spicy miso noodle soup that works wonders on my sinuses. I definitely don't work out. I figure it's counter-productive.

If I'm on the recovery phase, I'll usually go for an easy bike ride of less than an hour, just to spin the legs and move the blood.  Breaking a light sweat helps with congestion.  Just make sure that you don't sit around and get chilled after. 

I used to be extremely stubborn when it came to missing a workout, and would end up carrying on with my routine. If you feel a cold or flu coming on, I suggest you do not excercise the 1st day or two, it will make it much worse. I've now learnt my lesson and will day a day or two off and I find I recuperate much faster, and don't wind up taking almost a week off my work outs.