Exercising with a Cold: Is It Risky to Engage in Physical Activity When You're Ill?
When you're feeling under the weather with a cold, it can be challenging to decide whether to continue your running routine. Here's a guide to help you make informed decisions about exercising safely during a cold.
A common cold typically lasts for 7 to 10 days and presents symptoms such as a runny nose, congestion, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, headache, and more. If your symptoms are mild and above the neck, it's usually safe to work out, but it's best to take it easy. However, if you have more severe symptoms like a fever, hacking cough, or chest tightness, it's best to avoid running. Exercising with these symptoms could prolong recovery time or worsen illness, and running with a fever could increase the risk of dehydration or heat-related illness.
If you have a chronic condition like asthma or heart disease, talk to your doctor before running with a cold. Running with a mild cold may have possible risks such as dehydration, worsening symptoms, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. It's important to consider the severity of symptoms and the intensity of the workout before exercising while sick.
Running can help protect against common colds by boosting the immune system and reducing stress hormones. However, running with a cold can lead to worsened symptoms such as increased fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and potentially prolong the illness; it may also increase the risk of complications like bronchitis or pneumonia if the virus spreads deeper into the respiratory tract.
If you must work out with more severe symptoms, opt for gentle stretching. Other types of exercise besides running that are safe when you have a cold include walking, jogging, leisurely biking, stretching, and gentle yoga.
If you have allergies, it's generally OK to run, but you may need to take extra steps to run safely and comfortably. This might include checking pollen counts, avoiding dry and windy weather, wearing a hat and sunglasses, taking allergy medication, bringing your rescue inhaler, and running indoors.
As your cold symptoms subside, you can start easing back into your normal running routine gradually. Drinking plenty of fluids, resting, gargling salt water, using a humidifier, and taking over-the-counter cold medication can help manage cold symptoms. It's always best to listen to your body and take care when exercising during illness.
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