when sick with an upper respiratory infection are a common concern, according to doctors. Many folks pressure themselves to exercise even when they aren’t feeling 100% well — or hope a good workout will help sweat out their illness. frustrating when a cold or seasonal virus disrupts your weekly workout plan, especially if you’re training for a competition or race.
“If you have a fever, that’s a sign that your body is mounting a response to this infection, and it’s utilizing extra energy in order to fight off this infection ... and that’s a scenario in which I wouldn’t have you exercise,” Hwang said.Additionally, Gollub stressed that the idea that you can “sweat out” a fever is a dangerous myth. “It can increase the risk for...
Lastly, chest tightness, trouble breathing and a bad cough are red flags when it comes to exercising, too, Gollub said. “If you’re having a bad cough, it can be hard to breathe deeply and that’s likely to be worse during exercise than when resting.”As mentioned above, low intensity exercise is OK if you’re experiencing mild symptoms, but the same can’t be said for high-intensity or endurance work, both experts told HuffPost.
Suffice to say, there is no way for you to “sweat out” your cold or flu, and in some cases, it can be dangerous to try. So, let yourself take time away from exercise and focus on getting better, instead.At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.