{"id":63685,"date":"2025-04-30T19:10:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T19:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/63685\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T19:10:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T19:10:10","slug":"working-out-when-sick-is-it-okay-to-work-out-with-a-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/63685\/","title":{"rendered":"Working Out When Sick – Is It Okay To Work Out With A Cold?"},"content":{"rendered":"

First things first, if you love moving your body even if you’re dealing with a runny nose or mild headache<\/a>, you can still go for it. But before you attempt to crush your usual workout, there are a few things you should know. <\/p>\n

Colds can come with a wide range of symptoms and they all impact your ability to exercise a little differently, says Michael Jonesco<\/a>, DO, a sports medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. <\/p>\n

One common denominator, though: When you have a cold, your body jumps into overdrive to try to fight it, leaving you feeling tired in the process. That can mean less muscle strength and endurance, resulting in you feeling wiped out much earlier in a workout<\/a> than you normally would, he explains.<\/p>\n

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Fitness can help you feel better, though. “Exercise releases a lot of hormones that may make you feel great, independent of having a cold,” says infectious disease specialist Amesh Adalja<\/a>, MD, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, though, that if you overdo it when you have a cold, you could actually make things worse. \u201cExercising too hard when you\u2019re sick can make it more difficult for your body to fight off the infection and it can take longer for you to get better,\u201d says Kenton Fibel<\/a>, MD, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Anaheim. <\/p>\n

Not to mention, “trying to sweat a bunch can cause dehydration, and you really want to make sure you stay hydrated when you’re sick,” adds trainer Katie Kollath<\/a>, CPT, co-founder of online training service Barpath Fitness.<\/p>\n

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TL;DR: Even if you\u2019re just dealing with the common cold<\/a>, don’t feel obligated to “sweat it out.” Listen to your body and only exercise at a level that makes you feel good.<\/p>\n

So, when is it truly okay to work out with a cold?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have a cold and do want to exercise, follow the \u201cneck rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf all of your symptoms are above the neck, you\u2019re safe to work out,” says Dr. Adam. “But if you have symptoms that are below the neck, then you probably shouldn\u2019t exercise. That’s the rule I use whenever I have an athlete that wants to work out.”<\/p>\n

Under this rule, you’re okay to work out with these symptoms:<\/strong><\/p>\n