Stop Exercising When Ill

Rest is the Right Prescription When an Athlete is Sick

Feb 23, 2009 Steven M. Cohen

When colds or flu strike, some athletes will keep training. This strategy will only prolong the symptoms. Here are some tips for handling illness.

For fitness enthusiasts, missing workouts may be a difficult pill to swallow. However, when illness inevitably occurs, rest is the right prescription. There may be a temptation to “sweat out” an illness by exercising, but that is the wrong approach. The best way to recover from illness is to follow dear old mom's advice: get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and make sure to eat properly. Failure to take this approach will prolong or worsen a cold or the flu. When proper care is not taken, some illnesses, especially the flu, can progress to pneumonia.

Here are some recommendations to get back in the game safely, and as soon as possible:

Don't Exercise With a Fever

Rest is the appropriate course of action for athletes with fever. There is a misconception that “sweating out” a fever with exercise is desirable. This myth is likely rooted in the normal sweating that occurs when a fever “breaks”. However, this mechanism does not work in reverse – sweating from exercise won't eliminate the virus that causes colds or the flu. Instead, the stress of exercise will likely prolong the illness.

Don't Exercise With a Cough

Coughing is a sign that lung function is less than normal. This is particularly true with a “productive”, or phlegm-producing cough. Most exercise requires enough lung capacity to deliver oxygen to the blood and muscles. The delivery system is impaired when a cough is present. Attempts to exercise with a cough will lead to a less than satisfying gym session, and may worsen the illness.

Don't Exercise With Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Although it may seem tempting to ignore that stomach ache and run or lift weights, rest is a better option. If an athlete is unable to ingest his or her usual calorie requirements due to illness, a workout will only leave him or her depleted, and vulnerable to worsened symptoms. As a rule, if one is unable to tolerate a normal diet, then rest is recommended over exercise.

When Resuming Exercise After Illness, Use Caution

Most athletes and fitness enthusiasts hate the down time from exercise that comes with illness. Many people count the minutes until a return to full activity. Some high level athletes push their return from illness to show their toughness, or to gain respect for being a “warrior”. These notions will only lead to further missed exercise time. Illness leaves the body in a weakened state, and the body needs to marshal all available resources to fight the infection. If some of the body's resources are diverted to tissue repair from vigorous exercise, then relapse or worsening of the initial condition is a real possibility. As a rule of thumb, it is best to remain on the sidelines for 3 to 4 days after a bad cold, and 1-2 weeks after a bout of the flu (or any illness with a fever). Taking time for rest will lead to a faster return to full speed than will “pushing through” an illness.

The copyright of the article Stop Exercising When Ill in Sports Medicine is owned by Steven M. Cohen. Permission to republish Stop Exercising When Ill in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Rest is Best When Ill