Exercising when unwell: A good idea?

You have been keeping up your new exercise routine, rarely missing a day since you started it -   and then, all of a sudden, you are attacked by a cold or flu.

What should you do? Should you avoid the treadmill or forsake that Pilates class for a late afternoon nap? Will it be hard to start again if you miss a day or two?

Exercising when unwell: should you or shouldn’t you?

The answer depends on your symptoms, experts say. For example, exercising with a cold may be fine, but if you have a temperature, going to the gym is a definite no.

Sports medicine expert, Dr Lewis G. Maharam, says that a temperature is the limiting factor. "The danger is exercising and raising your body temperature internally if you already have a fever, because that can make you even sicker", he says. If your temperature is above 38.3C (101F) the advice is to opt out.

Maharam's rule of thumb for exercising when unwell? "Do what you can do, and if you can't do it, then don’t". He says that most people who are fit tend to feel worse if they stop their exercise, but that if you have flu and can't lift your head off the pillow, then the chances are you won't want to go running round the park.

Personal trainer and exercise physiotherapist, Geralyn Coopersmith, adds that it’s generally all right to work out if all you have is a little sniffle, and if you don’t feel bad. “But if you have any bronchial tightness, it’s not advisable to be working out”, she says.

You really need to know your limits if you’re feeling unwell, she says. “You may want to consider a walk instead of a run. Take the intensity down or do a regenerative activity like yoga or Pilates”, says Coopersmith.

"A neck check is a way to determine your level of activity during a respiratory illness", adds Dr Neil Schachter, at Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York. "If your symptoms are above the neck, including a sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, and watering eyes, then you are OK to exercise", he says. "If your symptoms are below the neck, such as coughing, body aches, fever, and fatigue, then it's time to hang up the running shoes until these symptoms subside".

How long will you be out of action?

An uncomplicated cold in an adult should be completely gone in about seven days.

A flu that develops complications such as bronchitis or sinusitis can last two weeks, he says. "The symptoms of cough and congestion can linger for weeks if not treated". In general, flu, even if uncomplicated, can make you feel pretty rotten for 10 days to two weeks.