When It’s OK To Workout While You’re Sick, And When You Shouldn’t

Common sense says you should never workout when you’re not feeling well, but there are a few exceptions. If you’re worried your illness is taking you off track of your fitness goals, here’s what you need to know.

As YouTuber PictureFit explains in this video, the general rule of thumb is the “above or below the neck check”. If you have symptoms above the neck, like coughing, sneezing, sore throat or nasal congestion, you can probably still work out. If you have symptoms below the neck, like vomiting, chest congestion, aches or fever, it’s best to skip the exercise. But either way, it’s best to go off your own judgement. If you feel like you need rest, don’t push yourself. It’s better to miss a few workouts than prolonging your illness and missing a bunch of them.

If you decide to do it anyway, it’s best to reduce the weight, number of reps, number of sets and amount of time you work out so your body can continue fighting the illness. Avoid going to failure, or maxing out to the point your muscles can’t do the exercise any more. And be sure to stay hydrated and monitor how you’re feeling. If at any time your symptoms get worse, stop and go rest. Lastly, and most importantly, don’t go to the gym or anywhere else where people can come in contact with your germs. Just because you want to workout doesn’t mean other people want to get sick.

Should You Workout When Sick? [YouTube]