BY MONIQUE BARTLETT
Summer is on its way, yet spring is still hanging on. Trees and flowers are budding and people are out and about. You have been exercising but you can have allergies, the flu or even the common cold that can derail you from your workout. You may have aches and pains and are not sure if it’s right for you to exercise.
If you’re just feeling rundown or are suffering with sniffles, a headache or nasal congestion you should be fine to exercise but do not push yourself too hard. Do something like walking or yoga. You may want to take a day or two off if your symptoms are a little more severe. However, no matter what other symptoms you have, if you have a fever, do not exercise. A fever is a sign that you’re working hard to fight off an illness and exercise only increases the stress on your body.
Performing light exercise can help clear your sinuses if you’re stuffed up and may give you temporary relief from symptoms such as coughing, sneezing or a sore throat. By keeping your intensity level low, you will be less likely to stress out your system and will get your blood flowing and help you to get better faster.
When you’re feeling sick do your best to workout on your own. It’s easy to spread germs to others when you exercise. When you share space and work out equipment with so many people in close quarters it’s much easier for you to spread your germs to others. Be considerate and skip the gym for a few days and workout at home or go outside and get fresh air if the weather is good.
When you’re feeling better and the aches and pains have disappeared you’re fine to start working your way back up to your usual intensity. When you exercise at a moderate pace for 30 – 40 minutes per day you will not only be getting fitter and stronger you will also lessen the amount of sick days that you need and reduce the number of colds you may catch in a year.
