Working out while sick?

I have a sore throat and headache and I feel very lethargic. I don't have a fever though. I haven't worked out in four days now, should I push through the tiredness and go work out or should I give my body more time to rest?

People said if it's in the head rather than the chest that you can work out. HOWEVER, try not to get impatient and give your body enough resting time.

I made the mistake to work out too soon- after a few days of head cold i went to the gym and the day after I was in bed for the next 7 days.

Get better soon!

Yeah I would be on the safe side about it too.  I know you are probably bored and want to work out, but its much better to wait until you are feeling much better.  Or maybee you could do some stretching and low impact stuff while you aren't feeling that great, until you feel better.  That way at least you will feel like you are doing something, but remember keep it a slower & lighter workout since you are not 100 percent yet.

Thanks! I hope I'll be better soon- I am very bored lol. I've been lazing around the house for the last two days doing absolutely nothing. It was kind of nice at first but now it's just dull! I guess I'll give it a couple more days and go for a walk or something for now. Thanks for the advice!

I know the feeling, you just want to try and push through...and the utter boredom of sitting around when you're not quite well enough for work, but not quite sick enough for an entire day in bed!

I tried the gym yesterday after much deliberation, and today my cold feels much worse than 2 days ago :(

..I'd say, if you can bare to wait another day or two even, get lots of sleep, eat garlic and chilli in everything and drink lots of water and tea : )

That way you'll be super raring to go when you feel 100% for the exercise and also if you're going to a gym, you can try to lessen the risk of passing your illness on to others via equipment and hacking up your lunges and sneezing everywhere.

Yeah, I did a spinning class yesterday with a major head cold and my cold promptly moved into my chest and now I'm REALLY sick. Not cool. I am already wondering if I'll be able to go tomorrow, though. (Although, I probably won't because I doubt I'll be well enough!) It's really frustrating when you WANT to workout and can't.

Man doesn't it feel like as soon as you get into a rythem something happens, like being sick, kids sick or whatever and you can't- I mean physically can't continue. I was working out five days a week, trying to weight train and run 2 miles a day. Really was doing well, M-F two miles, and weight classes for two weeks, I was feeling so strong. (even throughing in a little during the weekends) But just like that woke up and had strep, now my body just craves working out and I know I can't do it. Whats the time table man... this sucks.  I just hope to get myself back into it. Worked out Monday and I am so sore and tired, going again tonight, but man I am whooped. So I guess I am just going to have to focus on the diet(not my favorite thing to do either-rather just work out ).

Do you feel like you can work out without it being near torture/pretty miserable? Then go for it, at a much reduced level. If you feel worse after 10-15 minutes, stop. If you feel better, go on for maybe 35-45 minutes max. Something low intensity but enough to get that heart rate up a little. Then relax in the hottub which will raise your temp and that's bad for bugs!

If, however, you are actually having to force/drag yourself, don't go. You aren't ready. And only you can tell if you are ready or not.

Good luck and get better soon!

Original Post by turnertower:

 eat garlic and chilli in everything . . .That way . . . you can try to lessen the risk of passing your illness on to others via equipment and hacking up your lunges and sneezing everywhere.

Is the garlic and chilli to keep everyone away, and that's how you can keep from passing germs?

Sorry, I just had to ask! I hate the smell of people who have had a lot of garlic and they are sweating it out! Plain b.o. doesn't bother me half as much! :) 

If you feel well enough to be bored, I think you are well enough to do a little activity.  I would not do a really hard workout or go 100%, but I do not see how doing a moderate amount of exercise would hurt.  You can walk on a treadmill at a lower pace and see how it goes.  Rather than going for intensity, go for slower but maybe a little longer (only if you feel like you can go on).  When I am sick and no longer contagious, I will go in and walk the indoor track at the gym or go to the mall and walk.  Then you could treat yourself to a hot tea or lemon water at one of the watering holes at the Mall and be out and about for a bit. 

If you are so sick you just lay in bed sleeping, then you are way too sick to work out.  Once you start feeling well enough to get bored, it is time to mix in a little activity.

Hope you feel better soon!! 

Well, I've been walking since I posted.. I'm still not better though. This is one nasty head cold and it keeps getting passed back around work. It doesn't help that I work where people can smoke either :( I think you're right about the germs though, I wouldn't want everyone at the gym to get sick too! A few more days and I'm hoping I'll be back to full speed.

OMG I was just going to ask about this. I worked out saturday for 2 hrs. but not yesterday, and today i woke up with an awful headache amd sore throat and have no fever. I'm feeling a little better since this morning but wasn't sure if i should work out!!!

Yeah, you know, in this season of crumminess, I'm almost starting to think that one may as well just go workout. (Unless, of course, you are SICK sick... in that case, I would think that it wouldn't even be an option). I was feeling the crud last week so I took the week off from the gym, then I was feeling better this weekend, and today I'm totally stuffed up and feeling sick again. At this rate, I won't be working out again until June. I think I'm going to throw caution to the wind and just go for it.

I've been pondering the same thing today... was feeling kind of *eh* yesterday, almost felt hung over (and, I haven't had a drink in 2 months, so that'd be a feat).  This morning I woke up and felt like I'd been hit by a truck.  Made it through 90% of my work day, came home dizzy, achy, sore throat.  I decided I'm not working out today... maybe tomorrow we'll see how it goes...