Can you exercise if you have a cold? Can I exercise when I'm sick? Training for serious ARVI

If a person regularly plays sports, then he rarely gets colds. This is because exercise strengthens the immune system and improves metabolism. But this does not mean at all that an athlete cannot get ARI. This is where the question arises, is it possible to play sports with a cold? Experts recommend not to endure a cold on the legs and refrain from physical exertion, as the body is greatly weakened.

Sports - disease prevention

Now a lot of people go in for different kinds of sports. Some prefer to go to the gym, while others go in for fitness. Such physical activity can significantly reduce the incidence of disease. Physically strong people, if they get sick, then catarrhal pathologies in them proceed very easily.

With constant physical activity, the body has such a positive effect:

• Strengthens immunity.
• The motor apparatus is strengthened.
• The work of the cardiovascular system is activated.
• The development of such dangerous diseases as diabetes and bronchial asthma is prevented.

If a person trains daily, then his susceptibility to infectious diseases decreases. A person who walks a lot, rides a bike, swims and does gymnastics, very rarely gets sick. Just half an hour of exercise in the gym every other day reduces the risk of getting sick by almost 50%. This can be explained by the fact that during active physical exertion in the blood, the number of leukocytes increases, which have a detrimental effect on pathogens of various infections.

The most effective preventive measures against respiratory diseases are sports and hardening.

Can sport lead to illness?

But not in all cases, sport helps to increase immunity and reduce morbidity. Sometimes regular walking to the gym or fitness leads to increased morbidity. This happens if a person is engaged in wear and tear and the body's resources are exhausted. Strongly active physical activity leads to the fact that the level of leukocytes in the blood decreases, but the amount of cortisol increases. All this contributes to the fact that a person begins to get sick often and very hard.

According to the results of the studies, it was revealed that immediately after active physical exertion, human immunity is greatly reduced, this condition is observed for a couple of hours. That is why many experts advise avoiding crowded places immediately after training. This will help prevent infection.

After training in the gym, you can not immediately go outside, especially in the cold season. If a person is sweaty, then the slightest draft can make him sick.

Workout during a cold

If a person did not overload himself with exhausting workouts and did not visit crowded places immediately after the gym, but still got sick, then we are talking about some kind of aggressive virus. Such viruses have a bad effect even on a strong immune system. So is it possible to play sports with a runny nose and cough?

A few years ago, doctors did not advise overloading the body during an illness, since it was already unnecessarily weakened. Today, some experts say that it is possible to play sports during illness, but such activities should be very moderate. You can continue to go to the gym or fitness only if the disease proceeds without a high temperature.

All experts agree that physical education during a cold should be moderate. With a cold, the body's metabolism is disturbed, and all anabolic processes in muscle tissue slow down. At the same time, the level of cortisol, a special hormone that destroys muscle tissue, increases in the blood. That is why there is absolutely no point in exercising excessively during a cold.

Moderate exercise during a respiratory illness won't hurt, but it won't speed up recovery either.

Sports with the flu

If you can exercise moderately with a mild cough and runny nose, then with the flu, physical activity should be abandoned. Influenza is very severe and often gives complications.. The flu is always accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Elevated body temperature, which sometimes reaches critical levels.
• Fever and chills.
• Marked weakness.
• Sore throat and runny nose.

High body temperature is the most important contraindication to any physical activity. If you overload the body at a temperature of 37.5 degrees, then there is a high risk of developing serious complications. The most common complications of the flu affect the heart, kidneys, and lungs.

The flu cannot be carried on the feet. It is very important to observe bed rest until complete recovery.

Quite often, young people carry the flu on their legs. So, if a person has chronic diseases, then the risk of complications increases significantly. Therefore, at the first symptoms of illness, a person should be put to bed.

When can I start exercising after the flu?

It is impossible to actively play sports during colds, but this does not mean at all that the patient should lie in bed from morning to evening. Strict bed rest is indicated only in the most acute period of the disease, when there is a high temperature and severe weakness. This condition usually lasts no more than 5 days, but if the flu has led to complications, then the acute period can be up to 10 days.

But even with a high temperature, a person should not constantly lie in bed. From time to time, you need to get up and slowly walk around the room. The window should then be opened.

If during exercise the patient has dizziness or severe weakness, you should immediately go to bed!

Starting from the fifth day, a person with a cold should do exercises in the morning, only the exercises should be very simple so that they do not lead to fatigue. It is enough to sit down several times and make active movements with your arms and legs. This is necessary to disperse the blood and activate the work of organs and systems.

A week after the subsidence of all symptoms of the disease, you can resume playing sports. It is necessary to resume physical activity gradually so that the body has time to get used to the stress. When exercising, you need to control the pulse and respiratory rate.

For colds, it is useful to inflate balloons. This improves the functioning of the respiratory organs.

Mode during illness

Many athletes during colds are afraid to gain weight and lose shape. That is why it is so important to eat right at this time. You need to follow these recommendations:

• You need to eat a little less than on training days. The main thing is to observe the drinking regimen.
• In the first days of illness, the patient should sleep as much as possible. Many experts believe that sleep heals.
• During illness, you should not spend a lot of time in front of the TV, computer or phone.

The room where the patient is located should be ventilated frequently. In addition, it is important to maintain optimal humidity in it.

You should not go in for sports if your throat hurts a lot. Physical exercises in this case will not bring benefits, but they can worsen the condition. It is better to wait out the acute period of the disease, and then resume training. Any physical activity at elevated body temperature is strictly prohibited.

Just a sore throat, do you immediately take sick leave and refuse to train? Or vice versa - do you go to the gym even with a temperature? Which approach is the most correct and safest for health - we understand together with the doctors.

In the season of colds, athletes always face the same question: is it worth it to go to train if you feel that you have begun to get sick - are complications possible? Several studies have been done on this. One of them is at Ball State University (Indiana, USA). 50 student volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: one is involved in sports, the second is not. All participants were artificially infected with a cold - doctors monitored their condition throughout the experiment. The “sports” group worked out every day for 40 minutes - b e gom, cycling or steppe - by 70% of their maximum capabilities (doctors monitored their pulse). At the end of the study and after analyzing all the data, it turned out that there was no significant difference in the severity and duration of symptoms accompanying the disease between the two groups. That is, the experiment showed that moderate exercise does not increase the symptoms of a cold and does not undermine the immune system. But at the same time, high-intensity activities that include heavy lifting or aerobic exercise have a negative impact on the immune system during a cold or any other respiratory infection. Therefore, here it is necessary to feel the edge and be aware that one extra strength exercise can add several painful days to your sick leave. Try to correctly build a workout and not burden your body if you still decide to go to the gym.

Dmitry Troshin

With a mild form of a cold, especially without fever, you can play sports. But we must not forget: the main route of infection is airborne, so it will be possible to infect other people in the gym. In addition, when we have SARS, we are more likely to get some kind of "secondary" infection - this can aggravate the symptoms. Therefore, doctors usually do not recommend visiting crowded places during the period of illness. If there is a cough, shortness of breath and so on, it will be just hard to play sports.

Olga Malinovskaya

I would not recommend exercising with any anxiety symptoms, it is especially important to spare yourself at the beginning of the illness. A runny nose does not allow breathing through the nose, and frequent deep breathing through the mouth dries the mucous membrane and additionally damages the already sore nasopharynx. In no case should you engage in active sports against the background of cough and fever. Lack of rest during illness increases the chance of developing complications. Although if you feel good after a recent cold, but nasal congestion remains without discharge, in this case, light and moderate exercise, leading to the release of adrenaline, helps to cope with nasal congestion: adrenaline is a natural remedy that affects the tone of the vessels of the nasal mucosa.

With acute symptoms of the disease, no load is useful. Sometimes it happens that a person plans to go to a workout, but experiences atypical pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back and legs. This may be the first sign of the disease associated with symptoms of intoxication. And it is quite possible that an incomprehensible malaise in the evening can easily turn into a fever and headache in the morning. If you suddenly inexorably want to lie on the couch amid malaise, it is better to feel sorry for yourself, even if life is subject to an iron will and military self-discipline.

David Nieman, head of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University (who, by the way, has run 58 marathons and ultramarathons), advises sticking to the “neck rule.” If the symptoms of a cold are located below the neck - pain in the body, severe cough - you should forget about training. If higher - runny nose, sneezing - you can play sports. But in any case, you should always listen to your body.

Dmitry Solovyov

In general, it is now generally accepted that there is no clear, common for all period for which physical education should be interrupted after a cold. For each person, for each cold, he has his own. Intense physical activity weakens the immune system. Therefore, in the midst of an illness, when the immune system already has to work actively, it is better not to subject it to unnecessary tests. At this point, it is worth taking a break from sports and simply lie down.

When to return to training

Dmitry Troshin

It is worth returning to training after recovery. Weakness is a frequent companion of any colds, so it may simply be difficult for a person to engage in the same mode immediately after he is cured. I usually recommend gradually introducing the load and observing your condition, gradually increasing it. But there are always some peculiarities. For example, infectious mononucleosis - restrictions on sports range from four to eight weeks (depending on the type and traumatism of the sport) due to the risk of rupture of the spleen. Therefore, it is better to discuss the issue of returning to training with your doctor. It is one thing when a person falls ill with ARVI (only a runny nose), another with pneumonia; There will always be different times.

For many people, sport is an important part of their lives. And if a person catches a cold, from which even a healthy lifestyle often does not insure, then the question of whether it is possible to play sports during a cold will be relevant for him. Let's try to figure out if any training is allowed during this period.

Experts say that during colds and other diseases it is better to refrain from physical activity, since the body at this time is struggling with pathogens, and additional stress on the muscles can only aggravate the situation. Doctors usually categorically forbid patients to visit gyms until they are fully recovered, otherwise the course of treatment will be delayed for a long time.

But there are also experts who do not share this point of view and argue that sports with a cold are allowed, but according to a light program. The body struggles with the pathogens that provoked the disease, and light loads will not harm it in any way. However, they will not do any good either, which is why most doctors agree that it is better to wait until complete recovery.

Illness and physical activity: what happens in the body

If a person goes in for sports, then after training, his body is still weakened for some time. This is due to the fact that the muscle system needs time to recover. If you go out into the cold immediately after a workout, there is a considerable risk of catching a cold.

With colds, the body produces a large amount of the hormone cortisol, which has a destructive effect on muscle tissues and fibers.

In large quantities, this substance is produced in the presence of factors such as overwork (including after training), stress, fear, starvation, and illness.

The same hormone also has a useful function, which is to attract nutrients. In case of illness, the body needs building material, which is glycogen and amino acids. Cortisol is involved in the breakdown of proteins into amino acids, and glucose into glycogen. In this case, the body stores building materials that it will need for recovery.

One of the main arguments why it is impossible to play sports after an illness is that classes at this time will not bring any positive dynamics. Sport most often only worsens the patient's condition. In addition, the active effect of cortisol will not have a positive effect on the body of an athlete with a cold, but can only contribute to the destruction of muscle mass.

Avid athletes who cannot imagine themselves without training believe that you can play sports when you are sick, following the so-called “above the neck” rule. Its essence is that if the symptoms of the disease appear above the neck, training is allowed. That is, if a person has a sore throat, head, teeth, stuffy nose, inflamed tonsils, classes are allowed. It is not known where this rule came from, but following it, according to experts, can provoke dangerous complications.

To understand why this is the wrong approach, you need to understand a little about what the lymphatic system is. It consists of lymph nodes and other small vessels. They are filled with lymphatic fluid, which is actively involved in the removal of toxins and other harmful components from the body. In the normal state of a person, the lymph nodes are invisible, but when the body is overcome by viruses, their size increases.

If the lymph nodes are enlarged, this indicates the activity of pathological processes in the human body, and that its leukocytes are actively fighting microbes. Therefore, in fact, there is an increase in lymph nodes - they seem to create a barrier for viruses, preventing their spread throughout the body.

If training during a cold is tested with symptoms such as a stuffy nose, cough, headache, then the infection can spread throughout the body. The fact is that when performing exercises, the lymph nodes will not create a protective barrier, and this is an excellent condition for the spread of the virus to all organs and systems.

And this is an important argument why you can not play sports during illness. It is better to finish the treatment (usually it takes one week), and then start exercising with a healthy body, rather than torturing yourself and doing ineffective workouts, which can also provoke complications.

Sports activities during illness at a temperature

A cold is quite often accompanied by a high temperature, and its indicator is determined by the complexity of the disease. The most common temperature is 38.5-39 degrees. A person in this case, even with a great desire, will not be able to play sports, because at such a temperature the body is weakened and exhausted. There is also a strong chill, and such a high temperature requires churning.

As for the temperature of 37 degrees, it is more dangerous than 38 and 39, because you can't beat it. Training with this indicator is also not allowed.

A temperature of 37 degrees can occur with diseases such as hepatitis, asthma, tuberculosis, and various hormonal disorders. These are quite serious conditions, so it is important to determine the cause of such a phenomenon, and it is definitely better to wait a little with sports.

It is also worth saying a little about whether it is possible for patients with tuberculosis to play sports. In some cases, loads are not only not prohibited, but also recommended. However, it is important to understand that the main criterion in this case will be well-being.

During periods of exacerbation of the disease, it is better to limit yourself to a sparing, treated gymnast, while active training can be started only after stabilization of the condition, and preferably after complete recovery. It is recommended to choose calm activities such as walking, jogging and so on.

Remember that until full recovery, patients with tuberculosis should never lift weights and resort to other similar loads, as well as work on building muscle mass. The main task of the loads in this case is the maximum maintenance of the efficiency of all organs and systems and the strengthening of the body to fight the disease.

How to recover faster

If you have a mild ailment with a cold, but you do not want to cancel the lesson, then it is important to follow some recommendations. Firstly, load should be halved. The training time should be reduced to forty minutes. Also, during training, be sure to drink enough liquid. But the water should not be cold, so as not to provoke additional complications.

If you want to get well soon, it is better to choose exercises such as slow running, step aerobics, meditation, stretching exercises.

Exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and other exercises that require heavy loading and heavy lifting. If during the activity you feel a deterioration in the condition, stop exercising and consult a doctor.

If you have recovered (usually it takes about a week for a common cold), you can start exercising and starting training.

However, preliminary consider these points:

• Experts do not advise doing heavy exercises immediately after recovery - avoid heavy weights and long distances with cardio loads.
• Start with light exercises, because the body after the illness is not yet fully grown - it takes 7-10 days for this.
• To speed up the strengthening of the body, do not load it too much, and also improve immunity and drink vitamins. If overdone, it can adversely affect your health.
• After 1-2 weeks after recovery, you can return to the previous loads. But do it gradually so as not to disrupt the recovery process.

Sports for prevention

If a person regularly goes in for sports, then he is usually not prone to frequent colds - if they occur, they proceed in a mild form. This is due to the fact that sport helps to strengthen the immune system, as well as the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system.

For the prevention of colds, regular jogging for 30 minutes is an excellent solution. A person who runs regularly, even if he gets sick, will recover fairly quickly and without complications.

Also for the prevention of frequent colds in addition to regular exercise it is also recommended to harden, eat right, give up bad habits.

Sports can cause the development of a cold in very rare cases, for example, if a person does not give himself rest, and the body wears out, or, for example, if the body is supercooled. Also avoid too cold liquid during the session.

Thus, everyone decides whether to play sports or not. But in any case, remember that if you catch a cold, you need to let the body recover. The answer to the question of whether it is possible to play sports when you have a cold can be determined individually. But in order not to harm yourself, it is better to wait a little with serious loads, and after a full recovery, return to the usual training regimen.

Video: is it possible to train with a cold

A cold is an unpleasant, but quite common disease, especially in the off-season. Sometimes she can confuse all plans, but what about people whose good habit has become regular exercise? Should I skip a workout when the first symptoms of the disease occur? How many experts - so many opinions as to whether it is possible to play sports with a cold.

Regular morning jogging, fitness, swimming and other sports not only improve physical fitness, but also help strengthen the body's resistance to various diseases, including colds. However, is there any reason to continue classes with signs of malaise? In this case, such motives as the desire to become slimmer, fitter and more attractive fade into the background. Being healthy is still a priority.

How do opponents of training justify their views when the disease has begun?

Risk of Complications

A number of doctors are of the opinion that any training during illness will not bring any benefit at all. They justify this by the fact that even a healthy person is undesirable immediately after intense physical activity to go out into the cold air or visit crowded places due to the fact that the body's defenses are somewhat weakened at this time. Whereas with a cold, immunity is already suppressed and there is a high probability of getting complications.

Illness is a reason to cancel training

The action of the hormone cortisol

Colds lead to a decrease in the level of anabolic processes in the muscles and in the body itself as a whole. Along with this, the production of cortisol increases. It is a catabolic hormone that can break down muscle tissue and increase blood glucose levels. In addition, it also promotes the accumulation of fat mass. By itself, this hormone, the production of which is activated during stress, hunger, overwork and illness, is not at all harmful, on the contrary, it is designed to mobilize all the nutrients. In the future, muscle proteins decomposed into amino acids will serve as a building material for the restoration of the body. However, exercising during a cold can negate all the beneficial effects of cortisol, and all activities will only give the opposite effect.

Danger of spreading infection

They also call another risk during training during the period of illness - during the inflammatory process, the lymph nodes enter the fight against microbes and bacteria. They stand guard, taking a hit on themselves and preventing the virus from spreading throughout the body. Strengthened training will allow the infection, along with the blood, to penetrate into other organs, and the consequences can be very serious.

When a cold is not an obstacle to exercise?

However, not all experts are so categorical in their attitude to sports during a cold. Many are of the opinion that, subject to a number of conditions, it is quite possible to go to training. If the disease proceeds without temperature, and the general state of health is quite satisfactory, moderate exercise will not cause harm. In some cases, exercise will even help relieve nasal congestion.

Nevertheless, the main principle of such activities is a sense of proportion and the absence of fanaticism. There are a few key recommendations for this:

1. It is necessary to reduce the duration of training by one and a half to two times, as well as reduce their intensity.
2. Refuse strength exercises - they still will not bring the desired effect during this period, due to the aforementioned effect of cortisol on muscles. It is better to do stretching, running on the track, yoga, step aerobics.
3. Control your heart rate. If it exceeds 120-130 beats per minute, it is advisable to stop the session.
4. Increase the amount of liquid consumed per day. It is better to give preference to ordinary warm water, which should be drunk a little every 15-20 minutes.
5. Do not forget about proper rest after classes. A significant role in recovery is played by a night's sleep of at least 8-9 hours.
6. Avoid hypothermia and visiting crowded places after training.
7. Gradually increase the load as you recover. Return to the usual mode is possible approximately in the third week after recovery.
8. Take vitamin preparations recommended by the doctor during the recovery period after a cold.

Will exercising during a cold benefit or harm? Studies have shown that with moderate loads, training does not cause harm, however, it does not contribute to a speedy recovery. We should not forget such a moment that the vast majority of colds are caused by viruses, and the patient, coming to a sports club or gym, where a lot of other people work out indoors, can become a source of infection. Considering that it is not very comfortable to train in a medical mask, you should think about the possibility of doing fitness at home or in the fresh air.

When is exercise contraindicated?

Despite the fact that the views of doctors on whether it is possible to train with a cold differ, there are a number of categorical contraindications to exercise.

Elevated temperature

No specialist will approve of sports with a cold if the patient has a fever. Classes in this state will not bring benefits for sure, but with a high degree of probability they will provide further problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys or other organs.

Flu

This disease is dangerous in the first place with possible complications, moreover, it proceeds with fever and general weakness. You can't exercise with the flu. In the early days, bed rest should be observed. If getting up and walking around the room from time to time will be useful, then the exercises will have to wait until complete recovery.

Don't exercise with the flu - stay in bed

Severe cough, difficulty breathing

Diseases of the lungs and bronchi are a good reason to visit a doctor, not a gym, as they require long-term medical treatment.

You can’t play sports when there are body aches, headache, muscle, joint pain against the background of a cold, progression of symptoms of the disease, severe weakness, fatigue. If the body is exhausted, it is better to give it a rest, and not exhaust it with additional loads.

How long it takes to fully recover from an illness depends on many factors, and it is advisable to consult with your doctor before starting sports again. After all, professional athletes are always under the supervision of a physician who monitors their health and develops an individual program for the rehabilitation period.

How to maintain and improve health with the help of sports?

Regular exercise and sports reduce the risk of viral and other diseases by an order of magnitude. This is due to the fact that an active lifestyle increases the body's resistance, helping to increase the number of white blood cells needed to fight viruses, and improves overall health. How much and how do you need to practice for it to benefit?

Daily running strengthens the immune system

According to experts, the following exercises are most effective for strengthening the immune system:

• Daily half-hour running or walking in the fresh air.
• Biking 3-4 times a week.
• Yoga.
• Aerobics, water aerobics.
• Tai chi is a Chinese type of gymnastics that is suitable for both young and old people.
• Stretching - stretching.

However, no matter what sport you prefer, you should take into account the characteristics of your own body and not chase transcendental results. Do not focus on the indicators of acquaintances and friends. Having loaded himself to exhaustion, no one has become healthier yet. Excessive loads weaken the immune system and just the same open the way to diseases. And the main goal of practicing any sport, if we are not talking about Olympians fighting for medals and records, is still maintaining health.

A healthy lifestyle in general and systematic physical activity in particular strengthen the body and serve as an excellent prevention of various diseases.

But when cold season hits and signs of mild illness appear, many people have a reasonable question: is it possible to work out in the gym with a cold?

Wouldn't that hurt or would it help? After all, you don’t want to miss a whole week of training, lose your progress and shape.

No wonder they say that it is systematic physical activity that serves as the prevention of colds. After all, if you deal with influxes, for example, from the first day of each month and allow long breaks, the risk of getting sick only increases.

Few people know that in fact, sports loads in the gym often serve as a slight drop in immunity. Because of this, malaise may appear.

Can I go to the gym with a temperature?

Absolutely not! Not without reason, doctors prescribe lying down and drinking plenty of fluids for patients with fever.

Classes in the gym can not be called a lying regimen, and water leaves the body faster, causing dehydration. If the temperature has risen, then the body is fighting the infection, often with the last of its strength.

You should not load it additionally with sports, so you can only lose.

Is it possible to go to the gym with a cold, but without a fever?

Often on the Internet you can find a rule: if there is no temperature and the symptoms of the disease are above the neck, then you can do it. That is, if you have a runny nose or a sore throat, then run to the gym. Such advice cannot be trusted.

If at least some symptoms of the disease appear, it means that the immune system is already weakened, and it is not entirely reasonable to go to crowded places, especially with a humid atmosphere. With a runny nose, breathing through the mouth dries the mucous membrane and irritates the already sore nasopharynx.

You need to be especially careful about your condition with enlarged lymph nodes. Active exercise can cause the infection to leave the lymph nodes and spread to other organs, leading to complications. Therefore, if the first signs of the disease appear, but without a temperature, it is better to lie down at home for a couple of days than later in a hospital bed.

With a cold and other diseases, the anabolic processes of the body slow down, including in the muscles. This means that new muscle fibers are not formed, and training will lead to the destruction of old ones. That is, there is no need to expect any positive effect from training during illness.

How to strengthen immunity?

In order not to go down with the disease during the cold season, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures:

• Take vitamins 2 times a year, at the end of summer and winter, before the cold and flu season. If it was not possible to conduct a course at this time, you will have to lengthen it twice;
• During the epidemic, take vitamin C and echinacea extract. Vitamin C can also be obtained from familiar foods: citruses and leafy vegetables, you should also pay attention to berries. A person with a varied diet does not need to supplement with vitamin C. What can not be said about echinacea extract - this is the only herbal immunomodulatory agent with proven effectiveness, it increases the body's resistance to various infections, microbes and viruses;
• hardening. It also increases the body's resistance to adverse external factors, and also improves adaptation to environmental conditions. You can start with a counter shower or rubbing with cold towels, gradually moving towards dousing with cold water or diving into an ice hole.

If the disease has already overtaken, then you can also use vitamin C (already in tablets of 1 gram per day) and echinacea extract, there will not be much sense from other actions in the beginning of the disease. In this case, the following steps should be taken:

• Drink plenty of fluids and eat a varied diet. This will help the body recover faster and support the immune system to fight the disease;
• There are onions and garlic. They contain phytoncides that inhibit the growth and development of pathogenic bacteria. The same substances are in the essential oils of coniferous trees, so you can drop the oil on a paper napkin and put it next to the pillow;
• Replace classes in the hall with walking in the fresh air and at this time ventilate the room. Half an hour on the street is enough to support the body in the fight against the disease, and airing will rid the apartment of bacteria that interfere with a speedy recovery and depress the immune system.