Should you exercise when you have a cold? Is it possible to play sports if you have a cold? Worst: Lifting Weights

A healthy lifestyle in general and systematic physical activity in particular strengthen the body and serve as an excellent prevention of various diseases.

But when cold season arrives and signs of mild illness appear, many people have a reasonable question: is it possible to work out in the gym with a cold?

Will this harm or, on the contrary, help? After all, you don’t want to miss a whole week of training and lose your progress and shape.

It is not without reason that they say that systematic physical activity serves as the prevention of colds. After all, if you engage in influxes, for example, from the first day of each month and allow long breaks, the risk of getting sick only increases.

Few people know that in fact, sports activities in the gym often serve to cause a slight drop in immunity. Because of this, malaise may appear.

Is it possible to go to the gym with a fever?

Absolutely not! It is not for nothing that doctors prescribe lying down and drinking plenty of fluids for patients with fever.

Exercising in the gym cannot be called a supine regime, as water leaves the body faster, causing dehydration. If the temperature has risen, it means that the body is fighting the infection, often with all its might.

You shouldn’t overload him with sports, as this will only lead to him losing.

Is it possible to go to the gym if you have a cold, but without a fever?

You can often find a rule on the Internet: if there is no fever and symptoms of illness above the neck, then you can exercise. That is, if you have a runny nose or a sore throat, then run to the gym. Such advice cannot be trusted.

If any symptoms of the disease appear, it means that the immune system is already weakened, and going to crowded places, especially with a humid atmosphere, is not entirely reasonable. When you have a runny nose, breathing through your mouth dries out the mucous membrane and irritates the already sore nasopharynx.

You need to be especially careful about your condition if you have enlarged lymph nodes. Vigorous exercise can cause the infection to leave the lymph nodes and spread to other organs, leading to complications. Therefore, if the first signs of illness appear, but without a fever, it is better to rest at home for a couple of days than later in a hospital bed.

With colds and other diseases, the anabolic processes of the body, including in the muscles, slow down. This means that new muscle fibers are not formed, and training will lead to the destruction of old ones. That is, no positive effect can be expected from training during illness.

How to strengthen your immune system?

In order not to contract the disease during the cold season, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures:

Take vitamins 2 times a year, at the end of summer and winter, before cold and flu season. If it was not possible to conduct the course at this time, you will have to lengthen it twice;
During the epidemic, take vitamin C and echinacea extract. Vitamin C can also be obtained from familiar foods: citrus fruits and leafy vegetables; you should also pay attention to berries. A person with a varied diet does not need to take additional vitamin C. What cannot be said about echinacea extract - this is the only herbal immunomodulatory agent with proven effectiveness; it increases the body's resistance to various infections, microbes and viruses;
Hardening. It also increases the body’s resistance to adverse external factors, and also improves adaptation to environmental conditions. You can start with a counter shower or rubbing yourself with cold towels, gradually moving towards dousing yourself with cold water or diving into an ice hole.

If the disease has already overtaken you, then you can also take vitamin C (already in tablets of 1 gram per day) and echinacea extract; other actions will not be of much use when the disease begins. In this case, you should take the following steps:

Drink more fluids and eat a varied diet. This will help the body recover faster and support the immune system to fight the disease;
There are onions and garlic. They contain phytoncides that inhibit the growth and development of pathogenic bacteria. The same substances are found in the essential oils of coniferous trees, so you can drop the oil onto a paper napkin and place it next to your pillow;
Replace classes in the gym with walking in the fresh air and ventilate the room at this time. Half an hour outside is enough to support the body in the fight against the disease, and ventilation will rid the apartment of bacteria that interfere with a speedy recovery and suppress the immune system.

A cold, although unpleasant, is a fairly common disease, especially in the off-season. Sometimes she can confuse all plans, but what about people whose good habit has become regular exercise? Should you skip training when the first symptoms of illness occur? There are so many specialists and so many opinions as to whether it is possible to play sports when you have a cold.

Regular morning jogging, fitness, swimming and other sports not only improve physical fitness, but also help strengthen the body's resistance to various diseases, including colds. However, is there any reason to continue exercising if there are signs of illness? In this case, such motives as the desire to become slimmer, fitter and more attractive fade into the background. Being healthy is still a priority.

How do opponents of training during the onset of illness justify their views?

Risk of complications

A number of doctors are of the opinion that any training during illness will bring absolutely no benefit. They justify this by the fact that even a healthy person is undesirable to go out into the cold air or visit crowded places immediately after intense physical activity due to the fact that the body’s defenses are somewhat weakened at this time. Whereas with a cold, the immune system is already suppressed and there is a high probability of complications.

Malaise is a reason to cancel training

Action of the hormone cortisol

Colds lead to a decrease in the level of anabolic processes in the muscles and in the body as a whole. Along with this, the production of cortisol increases. It is a catabolic hormone that can break down muscle tissue and increase blood glucose levels. In addition, it promotes the accumulation of fat mass. In itself, this hormone, the production of which is activated during stress, hunger, overwork and illness, is not at all harmful; on the contrary, it is designed to mobilize all nutrients. In the future, muscle proteins broken down into amino acids will serve as building materials for the restoration of the body. However, exercise during a cold can negate all the beneficial effects of cortisol, and all exercise will only have the opposite effect.

Danger of spreading infection

Another risk is mentioned when training during illness - during the inflammatory process, the lymph nodes enter the fight against microbes and bacteria. They stand guard, taking the blow and preventing the virus from spreading throughout the body. Intensified training will allow the infection, along with the blood, to penetrate into other organs, and the consequences can be very serious.

When is a cold not an obstacle to exercise?

However, not all experts are so categorical about playing sports during a cold. Many are of the opinion that if a number of conditions are met, it is quite possible to go to training. If the disease occurs without fever, and general health is quite satisfactory, moderate exercise will not cause harm. In some cases, exercise will even help relieve nasal congestion.

However, the main principle of such activities is a sense of proportion and the absence of fanaticism. There are several basic recommendations:

It is necessary to reduce the duration of training by one and a half to two times, and also reduce their intensity.
Give up strength exercises - they still won’t bring the desired effect during this period, which is due to the above-mentioned effect of cortisol on muscles. It is better to do stretching, jogging, yoga, step aerobics.
Monitor your heart rate. If it exceeds 120-130 beats per minute, it is advisable to stop the activity.
Increase the amount of fluid consumed per day. It is better to give preference to ordinary warm water, which you should drink a little every 15-20 minutes.
Do not forget about proper rest after classes. A significant role in recovery is played by night sleep of at least 8-9 hours.
Avoid hypothermia and visiting crowded places after training.
Gradually increase the load as you recover. Returning to your usual routine is possible approximately in the third week after recovery.
During the recovery period after a cold, take vitamin supplements as recommended by your doctor.

Will exercise during a cold be beneficial or harmful? Studies have shown that with moderate loads, training does not cause harm, however, it does not contribute to a speedy recovery. We should not forget that the vast majority of colds are caused by viruses, and a patient coming to a sports club or gym, where a lot of other people are working out indoors, can become a source of infection. Considering that it is not very comfortable to exercise in a medical mask, it is worth considering the possibility of doing fitness at home or in the fresh air.

When is training contraindicated?

Despite the fact that doctors have different views on whether it is possible to exercise when you have a cold, there are a number of categorical contraindications to exercise.

Fever

No specialist will approve of sports for a cold if the patient has a fever. Exercising in such a state will not definitely bring benefits, but with a high degree of probability they will cause future problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys or other organs.

Flu

This disease is dangerous primarily due to possible complications, moreover, it occurs with elevated temperature and general weakness. If you have the flu, you should not exercise. In the first days you should observe bed rest. While getting up and walking around the room from time to time will be helpful, exercise will have to wait until you are completely healed.

Do not exercise if you have the flu - stay in bed

Severe cough, difficulty breathing

Diseases of the lungs and bronchi are a good reason to visit a doctor rather than the gym, since they require long-term drug treatment.

You cannot play sports when you experience body aches, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain due to a cold, progression of disease symptoms, severe weakness, and fatigue. If the body is exhausted, it is better to give it rest rather than exhaust it with additional stress.

How long it will take to fully recover from illness depends on many factors, and it is advisable to consult your doctor before starting to exercise again. After all, professional athletes are always under the supervision of a physician who monitors their health and develops an individual program for the rehabilitation period.

How to maintain and improve health with the help of sports?

Regular exercise and sports significantly reduce the risk of viral and other diseases. This is due to the fact that an active lifestyle increases the body's resistance, helping to increase the number of white blood cells necessary to fight viruses, and improves overall health. How much and how should you exercise for it to be beneficial?

Daily running strengthens the immune system

According to experts, the following activities are most effective for strengthening the immune system:

Daily half-hour jogging or walking in the fresh air.
Cycling 3-4 times a week.
Yoga.
Aerobics, water aerobics.
Tai chi is a Chinese form of gymnastics that is suitable for both young and old people.
Stretching - stretching.

However, no matter what sport you prefer, you should take into account the characteristics of your own body and not chase exorbitant results. You should not rely on the performance of acquaintances and friends. Having worked yourself to the point of exhaustion, no one has ever become healthier. Excessive stress weakens the immune system and opens the way to disease. And the main goal of playing any sport, if we are not talking about Olympians fighting for medals and records, is still maintaining health.

Instructions

The most common illness that occurs to people has been and remains respiratory viral diseases: colds and flu. Despite the apparent safety of these diseases, it is recommended to stop all heavy physical activity (work or sports training) during them.
Influenza and ARVI are characterized by high fever, aches and pains of the body and internal organs. The body already feels a huge load (increased temperature affects the condition of the heart, blood vessels, and internal organs), so increasing it through physical exercise will exhaust the body even more. At any stage of the flu, physical activity should be reduced to a minimum, excluding not only training, but almost all physical activity. Otherwise, there may be complications in the heart, kidneys, and lungs, which will be more difficult to get rid of than the viral disease itself.

A cold, by and large, does not have dangerous consequences. You can play sports at any stage of the disease, as long as there is no fever or discomfort in the body (except for a runny nose). Professional athletes have a principle of separation: if discomfort is felt above the neck, you can exercise, if below - throughout the body - then you should stop training until recovery.

Do not forget that if you exercise at the gym during an epidemic, you can infect other people, since often gyms are not ventilated after exercise and the infection enters a humid, warm environment that is comfortable for it.

During exacerbations of chronic diseases, you cannot exercise categorically. Exercising at this time can aggravate health problems (especially for lung and cardiovascular diseases). You should wait until the body’s condition improves and only then begin classes according to the “from small to large” principle, gradually increasing the load on the body. The same principles work during postoperative recovery (recovery time depends on the complexity of the operation; it is better to start training after the permission of the attending physician).

It is better to start training after illness gradually, without making sudden jerks. After a cold, you can start training on the 5-7th day of recovery; after the flu, it is better to rest for another 1-2 weeks, no less. Physical activity at this time is best done by walking, cycling, or gentle swimming. It is not recommended to immediately try to “catch up” with your teammates.

I recently got sick, but now I feel fine. The runny nose persists, and in the evenings I feel a little tired. Tomorrow I'm training in the gym, I'm watching my figure, is it possible to play sports if you have a cold, if there is no fever or it's mild? Irina, 22 years old

Feeling normal and feeling unwell in the evenings cannot mean a satisfactory state of health. The patient requires a gentle regime, staying at home. By suffering colds and fever “on their feet,” people themselves provoke the addition of secondary infections, fatigue and decreased immunity, and complications on internal organs and systems. If you yourself feel a mild cold and there are no other symptoms other than malaise, you can do light workouts within the limits of physical fitness. The load should be applied gradually and 3-4 days after the first symptoms.

Lethargy, malaise, low body temperature - all this can affect the deterioration of well-being after exercise, so it is generally better to refrain from visiting the gym. Considering the purpose of your classes, you should refrain from training and skip 1-2 sessions. The body will get stronger, strength will return, and sport will bring the necessary benefits. During periods of unwellness, sports activities are not only useless, but can also cause some harm due to biochemical processes inside the body.

During times of illness due to illness, stress, severe fatigue, psychoneurological stress and prolonged fasting, the body produces a special hormone - cortisol. The hormone belongs to the catabolic group, which promotes the breakdown of protein, including muscle protein, increases blood glucose levels and promotes the accumulation of fat. Cortisol helps the body adapt to emergency conditions, creating additional resources to restore human strength.

In other words, the body begins intensive accumulation of useful and nutritious substances by breaking down protein into amino acids, and glycogen in the blood into glucose.

It turns out that, giving its last strength during training when sick, the body accumulates fats and microelements due to the destruction of muscle structures.

So, is it possible to exercise when you have a cold? For any physical activity, there are a special number of factors that should be taken into account when going to training. Classes are prohibited if the following conditions exist:

increased body temperature;

chills, fever;

manifestations of a viral or bacterial infection;

aching joints;

inflammatory diseases of the throat (tonsillitis);

period of antibacterial therapy (taking systemic antibiotics).

Taking antipyretics, antibiotics and attending a workout can negatively affect the condition of the kidneys, liver, and pulmonary structures. The temperature can rise even while taking medications. Physical activity increases the load on the heart and blood vessels. In case of a burdened clinical history, the simultaneous course of ARVI, influenza or a common cold with a deterioration of the patient’s condition requires mandatory rest of the patient and adherence to a protective regime.

After recovery, you should not start exercising immediately. The body needs time to recover, so it is enough to limit yourself to walking in the fresh air, a light jog in the park or in the forest. Physical activity should be gradual.

Exercises for colds can be useful for improving natural ventilation of the lungs, improving blood circulation, and stimulating the overall tone of the body. A beneficial effect can only occur with an uncomplicated cold. During a mild cold without fever or signs of complications, you need to follow a number of recommendations:

reduce the duration of the workout by 20-30 minutes, subject to an hour-long lesson;

reduce the intensity of physical activity by 50%;

warm up by doing simple exercises;

give preference to yoga, Pilates, slow stretching on the floor;

drink water during exercise.

During the recovery of the body, the same rules should be followed. Too intense loads during the rehabilitation period can provoke a new surge in the disease.

When exercising in a gym surrounded by a large number of people, you should refrain from exercising for up to 2 weeks to eliminate the risk of re-infection through airborne droplets.

It is important to understand that if you have a cold without any special symptoms, you can run and do all possible sports, but if you have the flu, it is important to stay at home and stay in bed. Unfortunately, you did not indicate how long the cold lasts. Perhaps these are the initial signs of ARVI or influenza. To avoid complications and aggravate the clinical situation, it is better to refrain from visiting the gym.

Also, subsequent sessions should be postponed if significant deterioration occurs during training. The body requires sufficient resources and energy expenditure during illness, directing all efforts to eliminate pathogenic pathogens. During a cold, you need to drink enough fluids. The ideal option would be decoctions based on berries, herbs, and dried fruits.

It is important to follow a diet, quit smoking and alcohol. For quick recovery, you should take vitamin complexes, freshly squeezed juices, fresh vegetables and fruits. Saturating the body with vitamins has a beneficial effect on the general condition, improves mood, and increases resistance to pathogenic microflora.

If children are given an exemption from physical education during the period of a cold and its complications, then adults should independently assess their own well-being and make a decision. It is better to give the body the opportunity to rest and recover than to provoke an increase in temperature and the occurrence of various complications after training.

Save:

For many people, sport is an important part of their life. And if a person has a cold, which even a healthy lifestyle often does not protect against, then the question of whether it is possible to play sports during a cold will be relevant for him. Let's try to figure out whether any training is allowed during this period.

Experts say that during colds and other illnesses it is better to abstain from physical activity, since the body is fighting pathogens at this time, and additional stress on the muscles can only aggravate the situation. Doctors usually categorically prohibit patients from visiting gyms until complete recovery, otherwise the course of treatment will be delayed for a long time.

But there are also experts who do not share this point of view and argue that playing sports when you have a cold is allowed, but according to a lighter program. The body fights the pathogens that provoke the disease, and light exercise will not harm it in any way. However, they will not do any good, which is why most doctors agree that it is better to wait until complete recovery.

Disease and physical activity: what happens in the body

If a person plays sports, then after training his body is weakened for some time. This is due to the fact that the muscular system needs time to recover. If you go out into the cold immediately after training, there is a significant risk of catching a cold.

During colds, the body produces a large amount of the hormone cortisol, which has a destructive effect on muscle tissue and fibers.

This substance is produced in large quantities in the presence of factors such as overwork (including after training), stress, fear, fasting, and illness.

This hormone also has a useful function, which is to attract nutrients. When sick, the body needs building materials, which are glycogen and amino acids. Cortisol takes part in the breakdown of proteins into amino acids, and glucose into glycogen. In this case, the body stores building materials that it will need for recovery.

One of the main arguments why you should not play sports after an illness is that exercise at this time will not bring any positive dynamics. Sport most often only worsens the patient's condition. In addition, the active effect of cortisol will not have a positive effect on the body of a cold athlete, but can only contribute to the destruction of muscle mass.

Avid athletes who cannot imagine themselves without training believe that you can play sports when you are sick, following the so-called “above the neck” rule. Its essence is that if the symptoms of the disease appear above the neck, training is allowed. That is, if a person has a sore throat, headache, teeth, stuffy nose, inflamed tonsils, classes are allowed. It is unknown where this rule came from, but following it, according to experts, can provoke dangerous complications.

To understand why this is the wrong approach, we need to understand a little about what the lymphatic system is. It consists of lymph nodes and other small vessels. They are filled with lymphatic fluid, which takes an active part in removing toxins and other harmful components from the body. In a normal person, the lymph nodes are invisible, but when the body is overcome by viruses, their size increases.

If the lymph nodes are enlarged, this indicates the activity of pathological processes in the human body, and that its leukocytes are actively fighting microbes. That is why, in fact, the lymph nodes become enlarged - they seem to create a barrier for viruses, preventing their spread throughout the body.

If training during a cold is tested with symptoms such as a stuffy nose, cough, headache, then the infection can spread throughout the body. The fact is that when performing exercises, the lymph nodes will not create a protective barrier, and this is an excellent condition for the spread of the virus to all organs and systems.

And this is an important argument why you can’t play sports when you’re sick. It is better to finish the treatment (usually it takes one week), and then start exercising with a healthy body, rather than torturing yourself pointlessly and conducting ineffective workouts, which can also cause complications.

Exercising during illness and fever

A cold is quite often accompanied by a high temperature, and its indicator is determined by the complexity of the disease. The most common temperature is 38.5-39 degrees. In this case, a person, even with a great desire, will not be able to play sports, because at such a temperature the body is weakened and exhausted. There is also a strong chill, and such a high temperature requires knocking down.

As for the temperature of 37 degrees, it is more dangerous than 38 and 39, because it cannot be knocked down. Training with this indicator is also not allowed.

A temperature of 37 degrees can occur with diseases such as hepatitis, asthma, tuberculosis, and various hormonal disorders. These are quite serious conditions, so it is important to determine the cause of this phenomenon, and it is definitely better to hold off on sports.

It is also worth saying a little about whether people with tuberculosis can play sports. In some cases, loads are not only not prohibited, but are also recommended. However, it is important to understand that the main criterion in this case will be well-being.

During periods of exacerbation of the disease, it is better to limit yourself to a gentle, treated gymnast; active training can be started only after the condition has stabilized, or better yet, after a complete recovery. It is recommended to choose gentle activities such as race walking, jogging, and so on.

Remember that until complete recovery, patients with tuberculosis should in no case lift weights or resort to other similar loads, as well as work on building muscle mass. The main task of the loads in this case is to maximally maintain the performance of all organs and systems and strengthen the body to fight the disease.

How to recover faster

If you feel slightly unwell with a cold, but you don’t want to cancel your activity, then it is important to follow some recommendations. Firstly, the load needs to be reduced by half. Training time should be reduced to forty minutes. Also during training it is necessary drink enough fluids. But the water should not be cold, so as not to provoke additional complications.

If you want to get better faster, It is better to choose exercises such as slow running, step aerobics, meditation, and stretching exercises.

Exercises such as squats, presses, deadlifts and other exercises that require heavy impact and heavy lifting. If you experience worsening of your condition during activity, stop exercising and consult your doctor.

If you have already recovered (usually it takes about a week for a common cold), you can start working out and start training.

However, first keep these points in mind:

Experts do not advise performing heavy exercises immediately after recovery - avoid heavy weights and long distances during cardio exercise.
Start with light exercises, because the body after the illness is not yet fully strengthened - it takes 7-10 days for this.
To speed up the strengthening of the body, do not overload it, and also improve your immunity and take vitamins. If you overdo it, it can negatively affect your health.
After 1-2 weeks after recovery, you can return to your previous loads. But do it gradually so as not to disrupt the recovery process.

Sports for prevention

If a person regularly plays sports, then he is usually not prone to frequent colds - if they occur, they are mild. This is due to the fact that sport helps strengthen the immune system, as well as the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system.

To prevent colds, regular jogging for 30 minutes is an excellent solution. A person who runs regularly, even if he gets sick, will recover quite quickly and without complications.

Also to prevent frequent colds in addition to regular exercise It is also recommended to harden yourself, eat right, and give up bad habits.

Sports can cause the development of a cold in very rare cases, for example, if a person does not give himself rest and the body wears out, or, for example, if the body becomes hypothermic. Also avoid liquids that are too cold during exercise.

Thus, everyone decides for themselves whether to play sports or not. But in any case, remember that if you have a cold, you need to let your body recover. The answer to the question of whether it is possible to exercise when you have a cold can be determined individually. But in order not to harm yourself, it is better to wait a while with serious loads, and after complete recovery, return to your usual training regime.