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It's generally a good idea to workout and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Being healthy and fit is important, however, it's rarely a good idea to exercise while sick. Sometimes, drawing the line and restraining yourself is the healthier option. You may think a workout will get rid of your cold or flu symptoms faster, but in most cases, it makes things worse!
Your immune system needs rest so it can fight off infection better. If you push through and work out anyway, then your body won't have the energy to fight off whatever bug is plaguing you, meaning you'll end up in bed for longer than necessary—and feeling worse than ever when you finally do get up again.
Why it's not a good idea to workout when you're sick
1) Working out when you're sick puts your body under additional stress
When you work out when you're sick, it can cause your body to produce more stress hormones like cortisol. These hormones are meant to help fight off the illness by increasing blood flow, heart rate, and breathing. However, they also slow down the healing process and make it harder for your body to fight off the virus or bacteria that's causing your illness. If this were not enough to convince you not to work out while sick, working out when you have a fever will increase its temperature even further. This puts even more strain on the immune system and slows down recovery time even more!
In addition to these effects on the immune system, exercising when sick also drains energy from muscles that could be used elsewhere in fighting off an illness (such as helping with digestion). Instead of spending all this energy on recovering from exercise and fighting off an illness at once—so much so that doing either successfully becomes impossible—your best bet is just taking some time off from exercise until you feel better!
2) It can make your immune system less effective
You may think that exercise will help you get over an illness faster, but actually, it could make things worse. When you're sick, your body has to produce more antibodies to fight off bacteria and viruses. These extra antibodies are not free; they come from the energy stores of your body's cells, which means that exercise can weaken your immune system by robbing it of valuable resources.
It's also true that a lot of people who exercise when they're sick end up getting even sicker—especially if they're doing something like running or biking outdoors in cold weather. The reason? Cold air makes your nose runny, so there's a greater chance for those nasty germs to get into your lungs!
3) It can prolong the illness
Working out when you are sick can make your illness last longer. If you have the flu or any other illness that causes fatigue, working out can wear your body down even more than if you rested. The best way to treat these illnesses is by resting and letting your immune system fight it off.
When working out while ill, you may feel worse afterward than before. You might feel dizzy or nauseous after an intense workout session. Some people even faint during their workouts because they push themselves too hard while sick and dehydrated. It’s best to listen closely to how your body feels before deciding whether or not it’s a good idea for you to work out today!
4) You might spread your illness to others at the gym
If you are getting over a cold or flu, the last thing you want to do is workout. Not only will exercise make your symptoms worse, but you may also be putting others in danger. If you have a contagious disease, such as the flu or strep throat, you should avoid contact with other people until your symptoms have resolved.
This is because infectious diseases are spread through close contact with an infected person—usually by coughing or sneezing on someone else. If someone with an infectious disease goes to their local gym and works out while they are sick, they could easily spread their sickness around other unsuspecting members of the health community who were just trying to get fit!
5) If you are feeling under the weather, skip your workout and focus on recovery
Being sick is never fun. You may be feeling tired, achy, and downright miserable. You may also be worried that if you don't get your dose of exercise while sick, your routine will totally fall apart. But here's the truth: even if you haven't skipped a workout in years (or ever), it's still better not to work out when you are under the weather.
Your body needs rest and recovery just like any other muscle does, and how well it recovers from working out depends on how much sleep and food it gets. When we push our bodies far beyond what they can do on their own, we stand to lose more than just an hour or two at the gym—we risk serious injury and illness down the road by putting ourselves into overdrive when our immune systems need extra rest instead of another challenge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are feeling under the weather, it is best to skip your workout and focus on recovery. Your immune system needs all its strength to fight off the illness—and working out when you are sick can sap that energy. Instead of going to the gym to workout, spend some time resting in bed or doing light activities at home like taking a hot shower or watching TV. You’ll be glad you did it once you feel better!
