Can you believe it is flu season already? or as some practitioners coin it, the coughing, sore throat, body aches and fever season.
Each year, new and unsuspecting victims fall prey to the hideous virus and are completely debilitated for seven to 10 days, yet all the endorphin junkies (yes, you … and I?) have a workout scheduled and you just don’t think you could possibly miss it. So, you plod along, scared that if you skip a single day you’ll lose some of the fitness you have built.
However, exercising with anything more than a mild cold is a counterproductive process and you really need to take the time and allow your body to heal.
That is a hard line for us junkies (yes, me too – gulp) to swallow. however, if you are any sicker than a stuffy nose, you should skip your workout all together so you are able to come back fast and strong.
When you’re ill
- do not exercise with a fever, respiratory illness or infection or when you have symptoms such as muscle aches or chills.
- do not ignore symptoms that could be related to your heart such as shortness of breath, chest pain or lightheadedness.
- do keep performance expectations in check when coming back from an illness. You will not feel as strong or as fast when you first return, so be patient and allow yourself time to get back in the groove.
- do practice active restraint. Wait until your body and mind are both well and motivated before you return to training.
When you’re sick and your muscles ache, there is good reason. during an illness or infection, people go through a process of protein catabolism or more simply, a breakdown of muscle protein. that means that while you are ill, all that aching and soreness you feel in your muscles is greatly due to the breakdown of the muscle tissue.
The degree to which your body breaks down muscle protein is related to the length or duration of illness and the severity of your infection. therefore, it’s easy to understand why trying to exercise through or sweat out an illness is detrimental to your health and fitness. You are prolonging the infection and recovery time and aiding in the continual breakdown of muscle protein, which can eventually attack the heart too.
Also, when you are ill, aerobic metabolism becomes impaired so you can’t even use fat as an energy source to fuel your body. this means that muscle tissue becomes the primary energy source for healing. if you add the demand of a workout to an ailing body that is already using muscle tissue to fuel its recovery, it is evident how this stress leads to the breakdown of lean muscle tissue.
The bottom line is, when you’re sick, take a break or you’ll be paying a greater price later.