Should You Work Out if You Have a Cold or the Flu - Article Health

To avoid getting a cold or the flu, you take every precaution: You got a flu shot, you spritz hand sanitizer everywhere, and you keep your distance from coworkers with cold or flu symptoms. You even committed to the gym harder than Harry and Meghan Markle have committed to each other after learning that regular moderate exercise strengthens the immune system, one study review suggests.

If you have a cold
If your symptoms are those typical of the common cold—a runny nose, sore throat, watery eyes, or the sniffles—and you don’t have a fever, it’s safe for you to proceed, Brian Babka, MD, sports medicine specialist and team doctor for Northern Illinois University athletics, tells Health. Basically, you want to follow what's called the neck rule: If all of your symptoms occur at or above your neck (with the exception of a fever), it's fine to sweat.

If you have the flu
Back to the neck rule again: If you’re experiencing below-the-neck symptoms like chills, chest congestion, and body aches, or you have a fever, make it a rest day...or a rest week, actually. A fever, chills, and body aches are characteristic of the flu. Exercising with the flu can actually be dangerous because it can lead to dehydration and prolong your misery.



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