How many of your work out when you are sick? I’ll define it this way:
Head Cold
Chest Cold with Hacking Cough
The Flu (fever etc)
In this world of more is more, its hard to do more when you feel less and less!
Myself, I just had a touch of Flu. So stopped working out for a couple of days until the fever went away. Still have a head cold and some hacking cough, so I just have reduced the volume to save strength and keep loose until I feel 90% or better.
Never never work out when you’re sick. Your body weakened, the viruses could get a lot more easily to your heart, your joints or your liver and then you would be in big big trouble. Any cardiologist would tell you that, one of the best way to get myocarditis or pericarditis is to do interval training with a big flu.
1 - Yes. All the time.
2 - Somtimes. But I get some anti-biotics quick to get it in check.
3 - Yes, a couple of weeks ago I did a long run with the flu - I don’t recommend that.
As for the guy who posted the “scare the hell out of you” email about viruses getting to your heart, causing heart conditions, etc - my question is…why haven’t a number of physicians I have asked warned me about this if it is such a big risk? Oh right, because these are the same cardiologists who are anti-marathon and anti-running because of the “health risk”…got it…right.
I am guilty of #1. To be honest, if you swim long enough and blow enough bubbles out of your nose and mouth you will be temporarily relieved off all the mucus and boogers… until your body makes more of them
did that once, it turned into bronchitis. Lesson Learned The Hard Way And I Will Not Do That Again.
if I get a fever then I usually feel too sick to train… if I am throwing up, NO way…
if its above the neck only, go easy, workout if motivated to.
if its below the neck, don’t do aerobic workouts till recovered, do strength/core workouts if motivated and able.
Why are they good coaches, and why are they some who will make you loose your time…
I don’t know any anti running cardiologist (some orthopaedic surgeon, yes… but cardiologists… ???)
The disease is already a signal that your body is going wrong. Running on a flu is like running dehydrated : most of the time you can get away with it…
How many of your work out when you are sick? I’ll define it this way:
Head Cold
Chest Cold with Hacking Cough
The Flu (fever etc)
Not a cardiologist, but I am a doc, so here’s my 2 cents…
There is some (small, but real) risk for developing a viral infection of the heart called myocarditis in more severe respiratory infections such as bronchitis. Usually caused by Coxsackie virus, but other viruses can also cause it. The big concern is that the infection can cause damage or scarring to the heart muscle and may be one (of many) the causes of sudden death in athletes.
I believe Joe Friel had myocarditis back in the late 1990’s and had to take 6 full months off of training. He’s talked about this a few times at some of his clinics. I think he even wore a heart rate monitor to make sure he kept his heart rate low when he was walking.
I’ll usually tell patient to do the “Neck Check” to determine if they should continue their workouts during an illness.
If the symptoms are above the neck - runny nose, sore throat, etc. then its probably ok to exercise, but they may want to cut down on the intensity and volume until symptoms resolve.
If the symptoms are below the neck - significant productive cough, body aches, nausea/vomiting or fever, then usually recommend little to no training until symptoms clear up.
I think it’s important to reserve the time you’ve committed to your workout so the habit doesn’t have to be reestablished. Over the last couple of weeks I would get on the trainer for some VERY easy spins for a duration of 5-15 minutes. There were a couple of days I could only do that two times in the 2 hours I allocated for training. Off cycle I was either sleeping, drinking, performing some other neccesary bodily function. No labored breathing and low heartrate (60-70%).
Thanks for all the replies. It gets very tedious when you are so used to a set work out routine, then you have sit and do nothing for a few days while you recover from your malady. You can lietally feel your body “contracting”.
I like the neck up approach. I have worked out with a chest cold many times befoee, but it does seem to take longer to recover if you keep working out with chest congestion.
The good news is that the risks of serious hazard to your health are minimal as long as you dont have the flu and you are not killing yourself with 3 hour work outs while you are sick!
I have asthma. So when I get a cold, even above the neck, I take a few days off. I will go for an easy walk. It may be overkill but I would rather lose a week of training then a couple of months.
