K's colleague, Wendy, started a weight loss resolution last month and has been consistently going for evening runs after work every day, even through thick and thin.
Last Friday, despite having a fever of 39°C, she still insisted on getting up and running three laps around the neighborhood.
Don't worry, she's doing well now, and I've been bringing her meals to her bedside, three times a day. 🥺
Recently, temperatures have dropped sharply across the country, and with the flu virus rampaging, many people have fallen ill. Symptoms range from mild, like stuffy nose and cough, to severe, like fever with a "blade-scratchy throat" or "concrete nose."
🙋 Many Keep users might be wondering:
🤔 When you're feeling unwell, is it okay to continue exercising?
🤨 Sometimes, when you have a slight headache or stuffy nose, exercising and sweating can actually make you feel better. But is this "overdrawing" on your body?
☹️ How long after recovering from an illness can you safely resume exercise?
For those who feel they "must exercise or die," when you're sick, should you still exercise, and how?
Today, let's analyze each situation one by one.
"In These 3 Types of Situations, Moderate Exercise is Permissible."
Note! The three situations mentioned below are conditions where you can still exercise, but with one important precondition: Moderation! Moderation! Moderation!
If you really want to exercise, you can, but if your usual exercise volume or intensity is high, you should also reduce the load during these times to avoid putting too much strain on your body.
- Mild cold with the energy to exercise, appropriate activity is okay
This type of minor cold is usually caused by a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) and is a very common type.
If you only have symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat, and you don't have a fever but still feel motivated to exercise, generally, moderate exercise is safe.
However, if you feel weak and lethargic, it's better to rest and not push yourself.
The exercise recommendation for a mild cold is: Reduce the intensity or duration of your workout, which should be lighter than your usual routine. Don't sweat profusely thinking that "sweating will make you get better faster." There is currently no scientific research to support this claim…
If you sweat a lot and then catch a chill from the wind, making your cold worse, it's a case of "stealing chickens and losing rice."
- Mild earache or sore throat
Earache, as the name implies, refers to a burning pain in the ear, sometimes in one ear and sometimes in both, often seen with sinus infections or eustachian tube infections.
Pain from other parts of the throat can radiate to the inner ear, so you may also experience sore throat and pain when swallowing, as well as a headache and a dizzy feeling.
In this case, apart from the pain and discomfort, as long as you don't have ear infection or feel unsteady, moderate exercise is also safe.
- Simple nasal congestion
Nasal congestion is also one of the symptoms of a minor cold. If it's just simple nasal congestion, doing some exercise can actually help to clear the nasal passages and make breathing much smoother. However, if you have accompanying symptoms like fever, chest tightness, or shortness of breath, it's not advisable to exercise.
The exercise recommendation for this situation is:
Do some light aerobics that allow for even breathing, and avoid high-intensity exercises like weight lifting or HIIT that leave you gasping for air. Be careful not to get overwhelmed.
"In These Three Situations, It's Really Not Recommended to Persist with Exercise."
1.Fever, whether low-grade or high, is not recommended for exercise
Fever is commonly caused by bacterial or viral infections, with symptoms such as weakness, loss of appetite, muscle aches, and dehydration. Exercising against this backdrop may lead to collapse, fainting, and other consequences.
Moreover, when you have a fever, for every 1°C increase in body temperature, your heart rate increases by 10-20 beats per minute, and the stroke volume of the heart increases, which also increases the burden on the heart. If you engage in vigorous exercise at this time, it will increase the burden on your heart, and in severe cases, it may even lead to acute heart failure.
Besides, when you have a fever, your body's coordination and muscle endurance are reduced, making exercise at this time inefficient and prone to injury. So, when you have a fever, rest until you're fully recovered before exercising again.
2.Influenza, severe cold, and other respiratory diseases
Influenza is not the same as a cold; it is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the influenza virus, which can cause symptoms such as fever, chills, sore throat, body aches, cough, and confusion. To put it bluntly, at this point, you would want to exercise but would find it beyond your strength.
Although you can generally recover with two weeks of good rest, for those who exercise every day, two weeks can feel like a panic-inducing period that sets your muscles and cardiopulmonary endurance back to factory settings. But there's nothing you can do about it; if you insist on exercising during this period, it will only prolong your recovery time.
3.Stomach pain
Stomach pain may be caused by stomach diseases, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and loss of appetite. Additionally, diarrhea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, which hinders exercise.
At this time, the body is not only weak but also vulnerable. Exercising against this backdrop can easily lead to danger and exacerbate the condition. If it's a certain type of gastroenteritis, it can also be highly contagious.
So, for your own sake and for the sake of others, rest well!
"If You're Ill and Still Want to Exercise, You Can Refer to This One Principle."
In general, when you're sick and want to exercise, we can follow a "above the neck" principle:
1️⃣ If you only have symptoms above the neck, such as sneezing, ear pain, or runny nose, you can still sweat it out with a workout.
2️⃣ If you have symptoms below the neck, such as nausea, indigestion, chest tightness, shortness of breath, severe coughing, diarrhea, muscle pain, etc., you must pause exercise and rest until you are fully recovered.
3️⃣ With only minor symptoms of illness, we can engage in some gentle aerobic exercises, such as walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, qigong, tai chi, and yoga. However, avoid strength training, high-intensity interval training, sprinting, or explosive activities. An additional tip: try to avoid group exercises and spreading germs in places like the gym or square dance centers…
After all, the purpose of exercising is to maintain good health. If your body is already experiencing minor issues, why exercise just for the sake of it?
Of course, remember that even if your symptoms disappear, don't be "complacent" and gradually return to exercise.
