You are down with a bad case of the sniffles but today is also your intense cardio workout day. What do you do? Do you dive for the couch with a blanket and a warm mug of tea and take the day off or do you push forward and get that body worked up?
Choosing one over the other.
Of course, there isn’t any shame in choosing to just take the day off and try to get well on the couch. But if you are someone who cannot miss a day of working out, perhaps you can consider doing something lighter like taking a walk or going for a leisurely cycle around the estate. It is advisable not to over strain your body with a strenuous workout while you are sick as it may cause to become even more ill than you already are.
Your immune system and exercise.
Some people may choose to sleep if off while others prefer the “Sweat if off” method. Whatever your choice may be, it is important to understand how our immune system reacts and gets affected by our choice.
When we get engaged in high intensity workouts, our body gets a certain amount of stress (that’s why you feel pain). This stress is easily overcome when we are in the pink of health. However, when we are sick, this stress may open up our body to the bacteria and virus around us and make us even more susceptible to falling sick. And I don’t think any of us would like that very much.
On a side note, women tend to have stronger overall innate immune system which makes us less prone to colds. However, ladies suffer more from autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and pernicious anaemia.
So, to exercise or not?
In conclusion, the answer is yes, you can exercise. But, do take it easy and don’t over exert your body because the consequences may be pretty nasty. Take a walk or do some low-intensity yoga to get your body moving. Lay off the sprints and hardcore cardio workouts for the time being until your body is ready to go again.
And remember to do all these exercises outdoors when you are ill so that you can also breathe in the fresh air. Indoor recycled air may just cause you to get sicker and maybe even spread the germs around. Sharing is not caring in this case so do be considerate.
