Exercising Through Sickness

Well, just as soon as I created my training plan, this cold I've got rears its ugly head. Go figure. I'm not complaining because it could be so very worse, but I sneezed about a thousand times a minute yesterday and couldn't bend forward today without a tissue in my hand. I'll spare you the rest of the details, but needless to say, I wasn't up for the 4-mile run I had scheduled. So I walked it with my girl in her stroller.

It took us over an hour to get back home, partly because I got snap-happy with Instagram), but it was nice. The weather was nice...albeit a bit gloomy, but warm. With a sky filled with cloudy awesomeness.

In the end, I think getting up and out in the fresh air did me some good.

But i'm fairly zonked now which is why I know that running would have been a very bad idea. I don't think my upper respiratory system could have handled it. Maybe it could have, but I was fine with not taking that chance.

Speaking of taking chances, we're entering cold and flu season so I thought it would be a good time to go over some guidelines that pertain to exercising when you're sick. So if you feel sick, ask yourself the following before proceeding:

1) Have I been given doctor's orders to scale back activity?
2) Do I have a fever?
3) Am I on any medication that could affect physical activity?
4) Am I exhausted or nauseous? Do I have any aches and pains not normally present?

If you can answer "yes" to any of the above, you might want to take a break from exercising as your body is probably a bit down. Getting better should be your top priority, and rest and relaxation are typically good for that cause. But if you don't answer "yes" to any of the above, and if you feel up for some physical activity despite being sick, consider choosing an activity that's both light and gentle. For example, walking instead of running. But if there's any question whatsoever about whether or not you should be exercising, my first and foremost piece of advice is to consult your doctor.

Question: What's your exercise of choice when it comes to "gentle" and "relaxing" when you're sick?