Bad cold should i exercise

Get our newsletter for the best of ABC Everyday each week. And when you do moderate-to-vigorous exercise e. Although these changes are temporary, each exercise session "represents a boost that reduces the risk of infection over the long term", says Professor David Nieman, from the American College of Sports Medicine and Appalachian State University. But if you exercise hard or for a long period of time, there may be a window afterwards when your immunity is suppressed and you are more likely to catch a cold or other bug.

However, the odds of becoming sick increase two- to six-fold for up to two weeks after extreme exercise events, such as running a marathon. This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history. ABC Everyday helps you navigate life's challenges and choices so you can stay on top of the things that matter to you. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.

ABC Everyday. Print content Print with images and other media. Print text only. Print Cancel. For people who suffer from allergies, it can also help by washing away pollen and dust. But some people may find it difficult to breathe while congested, or may be irritated by chlorinated waters. Biking can also be a nice, moderate exercise, but may dry out nasal passages and increase symptoms like sore throat and runny nose.

Just like using the treadmill or weight machines at the gym, playing sports that involve physical contact can encourage the spread of illness. Cold and flu viruses spread through droplets, like tears and saliva—but also through hand-to-hand contact, he adds. Working out in freezing temps may be detrimental to some people battling cold symptoms, but not for the reason you may think. Contrary to popular belief, cold weather in itself will not lower immunity or cause you to get sick—not even if you go outside without a coat or you sweat so much your hair gets wet.

What can happen, however, is that cold, dry air can restrict or irritate airways—triggering a runny nose, coughing, or asthma-like symptoms, says Hulse.

If you find that you are sensitive to these conditions, winter activities like skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing might be even more difficult when you have a cold. Sometimes, what people think of as recurring cold symptoms—sneezing, headaches, nasal congestion—are actually allergies in disguise. Allergies to pollen and ragweed can make outdoor exercise difficult in the spring and fall, he adds, while allergies to dust, mold or harsh cleaners can be triggered by workouts at the gym or in other enclosed spaces.

If you can pinpoint the cause of your symptoms, an antihistamine or other treatment can likely help you get back to your normal life—and your normal workout routine. To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter. Save Pin More. Don't let a case of the sniffles derail your regular routine. Start Slideshow. Credit: GettyImages.

If you're craving cardio , stick to light cardio —and don't go for as long as you normally would, says Adam. Strength training , meanwhile, can be challenging because you likely already feel fatigued. Perhaps your best bet: Get outside. Whatever routine you choose to do, just wipe down your equipment well after you use it to do the next person who uses it a solid. You guessed it: The neck rule applies here, too.

Don't exercise if you have any of these symptoms :. Think of it this way: Both exercise and being sick are stressors for your body, so combine one stress with another and all you've got is MORE stress. Not exactly a winning combination for fitness gains or your ability to bounce back from being sick. If you've got severe symptoms, "these illnesses cause your immune system to work overtime and exercising will only create more stress for it," says Keegan Draper, CPT, Fitness Specialist at Mindbody.

That's especially true if you have a fever. Taking the time to work yourself back to your previous exercise schedule and increasing your effort over the course of a few days may help. A cold is a mild upper respiratory illness usually caused by one of a family of viruses called rhinoviruses. A article further suggested that many researchers agree on the connection between intense exercise and your vulnerability to a cold, but confirmed that other factors also increase your risk for colds and infections.

What we do know is that exercise can impact the body in several ways that may be problematic when you have a cold. These include:. Exercise in these types of environments with a cold can be demanding on your body. A review of four similar research studies in the Korean Journal of Family Medicine found that moderate-intensity exercise may help prevent the common cold. The researchers found that moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking for about 45 minutes, resulted in a 20 percent increase in immune cells called immunoglobulins.

In addition, researchers acknowledged that the quality of the included studies were poor — more research needs to be done to answer this question. These are two immune cell types that may help to fend off colds. While a cold can be a mild illness , the flu can cause more severe symptoms. Generally speaking, the flu usually causes more intense symptoms than a cold.

When your cold symptoms are from the neck up, you may be OK to engage in moderate exercise. Keep in mind that you may need to limit the duration or intensity. Many people wonder whether it's OK to work out while they're sick. If you have a cold and want to run, a good rule of thumb is to consider the location of your symptoms.