Exercising while unwell

Exercising while unwell can be tempting. All the effort you put in goes out the window -¦ so should you do it anyway?

Exercise has the effect of raising your heart rate and body core temperature. You lose water through perspiration and experience higher than normal stress levels on your circulatory and respiratory systems.

The demands on your body are much more than they would normally be and it burns fuel to try to compensate. If you have a high temperature from a cold or fever, exercising may raise your core temperature to possibly dangerous levels. Dehydration, a potential issue for any athlete, is also magnified when unwell.

So when is it ok to keep exercising? Use the neck check. If your symptoms are above the neck eg. headache or runny nose, then you’re probably able to exercise at about half pace. Moderate the exercise and always slow or stop if you feel worse.

If your symptoms cover any other part of your body eg. Fever, then you should avoid exercising until you feel better. Exercising will divert your body’s resources away from where it is needed (ie. fixing the illness)

While it is tempting to keep exercising, remember that exercising now may exacerbate your condition and result in a much longer time away due to illness.

Listen to your body when it says it is unwell and keep warm, covered and dry this winter.

-” Lindsay Nutley, Q News