The Low Down On Exercising When You're Sick
There’s nothing worse than coming down with an illness, especially when you’ve been consistent with your fitness routine. It throws you off your game and can ruin your momentum so you might be tempted to push through it – but should you?
We did the research and learned that the biggest determining factor could be whether or not you have a fever.
Do You Have A Fever?
A fever is a temporary rise in body temperature. An oral temperature that’s 100 F (37.8 C) or higher is generally considered to be a fever but you can also keep an eye on a rise in body temperature compared to your normal baseline if you’re using a wearable such as an Oura Ring or an Apple Watch.
Symptoms of a fever can include sweating, chills and shivering, headache, muscle aches, loss of appetite, dehydration and general weakness.
Because exercising causes your internal body temperature to rise, doing activity while having a fever has the potential to make your symptoms worse. So, if you’re experiencing any of the above, it’s recommended to a backseat and wait this one out before getting back onto the treadmill!
Listen To Your Body
If your symptoms are low grade – like a case of the sniffles – and you’re feeling super motivated to work out then listen to your body and adjust the strain accordingly. Try to remember that over-exerting yourself can keep you on the sidelines for longer so when in doubt take a couple days off so you can come back stronger when you’re feeling better!
