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Ask A Chick: Do You Work Out When You're Sick?

Q: When you have allergies kick in or when you feel a cold coming on, how do you change your workout?

Jess Vetter

 

JESS: Usually, I'll reduce the weight I lift and lighten the intensity of the cardio I do, but I still try to get to the gym because I know I'll feel better after I get up and do something. I get especially klutzy when I'm sick and always seem to roll an ankle or end up bruised when I try to push it too hard.

 

Emily Kelly

 

EMILY: The rule I generally go by is if the symptoms are neck-up, sweat it out; if it's below the shoulders (chest cold, flu, stomach issues, etc.), rest rest rest. Never workout with a fever. And if you do workout when you're feeling under the weather, be sure to be extra cautious about cleaning surfaces you touch, and hydrate twice as much as normal!

Erin Sian

 

ERIN: I'll be a bonehead and just go in anyway, unless I suspect I'm contagious. Because spreading your sick all over the gym for others to catch is a party foul. Precision Nutrition has a good infographic here that explains how to make better choices for your body when you're feeling out of it.

 

 

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Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 / By Dave Riggs