It might start with a tickle in the throat. Extreme fatigue. A sniffly nose. Body aches. But you know it’s coming. You’ve fallen prey to whatever nasty bug is ripping through town. You immediately panic, thinking of your training schedule and all the derailed workouts to follow. But maybe this doesn’t have to be the case? What protocols should you be following when illness strikes?
Here are some general guidelines that will help!
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Assess Your Symptoms.
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With HEAD & NOSE SYMPTOMS such as runny nose, headache, coughing, and sore throat, you are generally ok to proceed with a cautious workout. Intensity and duration should be cut in half, and pay attention to how you’re feeling during and after. Contrary to folklore, you can’t “sweat out a cold” but sometimes a light workout can improve symptoms!
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An exception to the neck rule is fever. All workouts should be halted when fever is present!
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With BELOW-THE-NECK SYMPTOMS such as chest congestion, muscle aches, hacking cough, and/or GI issues, it’s a smarter idea to rest the body.
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When to Resume Workouts
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It’s best to wait a couple of days after a fever resolves before picking up your training schedule again.
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Workout intensity/duration should be scaled back after a major illness (anything more than a head cold) and eased back into carefully. The dangers of rushing back into your usual schedule? An illness relapse, a depressed immune system that picks up yet another fun ailment, or an injury.
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If you are dealing with a cough, note the type of cough. Is it dry? Or productive (phlegmy)? If it’s the latter, it has a higher likelihood of interfering with your breathing especially when your heart rate is up!
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IN SUMMARY:
I get how hard it is for highly motivated and driven athletes to take a step back from training and let the body fully recover from illness. I get this because I’m currently living this! We love our schedules and our routines, and the absence of training leaves us feeling out of sorts. But there are risks associated with pushing through, so next time you are making these tough calls… let your body guide you and come back gradually. Keep in mind that it takes 2-3 weeks of inactivity for strength loss to occur, and most illnesses don’t stick around this long – thank goodness!
If you have any questions regarding this topic or any other aspect of wellness, or nutrition, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we can schedule a time for a chat.
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References: Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health Publishing, Healthline
