Sick? Don't Sweat It! Or Maybe You Should...

by Leslie Aronson — April 8, 2008

You wake up one morning with a scratchy throat, which rapidly progresses to sneezing, a runny nose, and a dry cough that settles in your chest. Obviously, you've caught a cold. And whether or not you should exercise while under the weather is a fairly substantial debate around the medical/fitness water cooler. Generally though, experts seem to leave it up to your common sense - if you can't get out of bed and have issues making it to the bathroom in ample time, then you probably shouldn't be lacing up your running shoes. But if you have a head cold - i.e., stuffy nose, sneezing, and mild congestion - then you might actually benefit from a workout. This is also referred to as the "Neck Check" - if you're symptoms are above the neck (most common cold victims) then you're generally ok to carry on with your routine, but if your ailments lie below the neck - fever, diarrhea, achy limbs - you should probably cool it for a day and reassess the next. While the temptation not to miss a day is great, the benefits of letting your body rest when it really needs to outweigh the potential consequences of pushing yourself too hard when your body can't handle it as well. Conversely, pushing yourself to continue with your fitness routine when you just have the sniffles will probably benefit you more than staying at home and "resting" in front of the television.