Should I work out when I'm sick?
By Mert Yerekapan · Updated
It depends on where the symptoms are, and the usual guideline is the "neck check". If everything is above the neck (a stuffy nose, a mild sore throat), an easy workout is generally fine. If it's below the neck or you have a fever, rest.
Rest completely if you have
- A fever
- Body aches or deep fatigue
- A chesty cough, chest tightness or trouble breathing
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- A rapid heartbeat or dizziness
Exercising with a fever or a chest infection is the one that can actually cause harm. If you ever get chest pain, a racing heart or trouble breathing while exercising, stop and get medical help.
If it's a mild head cold
Keep it easy. A walk, a light jog or a lighter lifting session at about half your usual effort is plenty. Skip the hard intervals and the heavy singles, since your body is already spending energy fighting something. Drink more water than usual. If you feel worse halfway through, stop.
It's also considerate to stay out of the gym when you're contagious, or to wipe things down well if you do go.
Coming back
Wait until you're fully over the fever and the worst of it, ideally a day without a fever and without medication to bring it down. Then start at 50 to 70 percent of your normal training and build back over a week or so. Missing a few days or even a week doesn't cost you much strength. There's a longer answer on losing progress after missing a week.
When you're ready to ease back in, League of Fitness counts an easy walk or ride from Apple Health toward the day, so the first sessions don't have to be hard. Losing a match while you were ill costs only a little rating that you win back, so it's no reason to train before you're well.
If symptoms last more than 10 days, get worse after a few days of improvement, or you have a high fever, see a doctor.
If you're unsure
When you can't decide, take the day off. One missed session costs you almost nothing, while pushing through a real illness can turn three days of feeling bad into two weeks. If you do train and it feels rough in the first ten minutes, that's your cue to stop and go home.