Should You Exercise with a Cold? Know the Dos and Don'ts

Exercising is a good habit, and adding it to our routine with consistency is essential. However, one may wonder, if exercising during a cold is good for you, or does it has any side effects that should be considered before performing an intense workout.

One should note that even if exercising is good for our health, there are times when you need to step back and take some rest as your body may not be in that state to take up the intense workout routine. Thus, it becomes important to know when you should push yourself in order to complete your workout and when not.

In this article, we will discuss if it is okay to exercise with a cold and if it helps you recover from a cold.

---

Exercise with a cold: When should you be working out?

what is the right time to do exercise? (Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash)

If you have mild symptoms that do not come in your way of performing daily activities then you can opt for a moderate workout. But you should maintain your hydration and decrease the intensity of your workout in order to promote your recovery and not hinder it.

Further, if you have an earache, runny nose, or sore throat, you can still do it but you should be cautious with it. Avoid swimming and consume plenty of drinks in order to stay hydrated.

By doing so, you can effectively workout with a cold without worsening your condition.

On the contrary, you should also know when it's the wrong time to exercise with a cold. If you have more severe symptoms compared to above giving rest to your body will be a wiser option.

When we have a fever, the body temperature is already high. Working out also leads to an increase in body temperature. Combining this with a high fever is not a good combination and may cause complications in our body.

Further, having a wet cough can also put extra pressure on your lungs and heart which may further dampen your health.

---

How does exercise affect a cold?

Exercise with a cold (Image by Freepik on Freepik)

It is well known that working out is good for our health and maintaining consistency can also contribute to reducing the chances of getting a cold. But going for an intense workout may hinder your immunity temporarily.

While you workout, if you do not stay hydrated then it may cause dehydration. Similarly, there are chances that you might get hypoxia due to a lack of oxygen during your exercise.

Exercise in a cold may help you if the intensity is moderate, as it may help in boosting immune cells, however, more research is needed for this to hold its ground.

Exercise with a cold may be beneficial for some and not so beneficial for others. It is important to understand the symptoms of the cold and based on that one should make the decision if you should work out or not. It is better to focus on your recovery and get back when you are fully fit or comfortable exercising.