Should You Exercise With a Cold?
By Laura Kelly-Pifer
I’m often asked if it’s okay to exercise with a cold. Having one myself at the time that I write this post, I know first hand how you can go from one extreme to another during the cold/flu cycle. Here’s my answer…listen to your body.
While exercise is good for many reasons, including boosting our immune systems, it’s usually safe to exercise when you have a cold.
Still, even if you’re sick and trying to exercise, you must listen to your body. Only you know when it’s time to take a day (or more) off and rest. Let me add that depending on the severity of your cold, it’s not a bad idea to consult with your physician, especially if you are seeing increased respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
One thing worth considering is if you are taking cold medications, sometimes these decongestants can increase your heart rate, in addition to the exercise that you are doing. This combination could cause your heart to pump harder and you may experience heavier breathing and shortness of breath. Again, listen to your body if this happens and take it easy.
Sometimes, the best thing is simply waiting a few days to get back to better health and ease back you’re your exercise routine. While I know that might be frustrating depending on what your weight loss goals are, please keep in mind that it’s about being healthy too. A few days of rest and recovery, sipping on some cold and flu cider and good ole fashioned chicken noodle soup won’t set you back, especially if you’re eating healthy foods.
If you’re currently under the weather, I hope that you feel better soon.
With Love,
Laura
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Laura Kelly-Pifer is a Self-Discovery CoachTM who strives to help others by giving hope and support to those that are dissatisfied with their current situation. Whether you are lacking physically, emotionally, financially, or nutritionally she is here to help you see REAL RESULTS!