How to Exercise While Sick
So you wake up one morning with a raging fever and terrible diarrhea - should you go for a run? Duh - use your head and stay in bed. But what if you have a slight case of the sniffles?
Instructions
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Assess your symptoms. If your troubles are above the neck, moderate exercise is probably OK. For example, if you have a cold and no fever, a walk may be fine.
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If you have flu-like symptoms and a fever, rest.
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Do not work out hard for at least a couple of weeks if you're really sick. Your body needs to concentrate on healing.
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Start slowly when you return to exercising. You will have lost some strength, but it will come back faster with patience. Don't beat yourself up and get sick again.
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Sleep, sleep, sleep. Your body needs the rest time to repair the immune system. Also, if you are stepping up the exercise intensity quite a bit, you may even need more sleep. Try for at least 8 hours per night.
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Tips & Warnings
Eat a well-balanced diet, using the USDA's food pyramid as your guideline. (See Related Sites.)
Don't try to lose weight too quickly - anything beyond 1 to 2 pounds per week is too much and is taxing to your body.
Alternate really hard workouts with easier, recovery workouts. You will see a greater increase in fitness if your body has time to repair the muscles that have been taxed.
Listen to your body and consult your physician if you are unsure of when to resume exercise after an illness. This advice is not intended to substitute for that of your physician.
