Can I workout while being sick?
Although most people wouldn’t even think to workout while being sick, there are some crazy people (like myself) that want to workout despite not feeling well.
Is it a good idea?
The common answer, no. Your body needs rest. That may be part of the reason you got sick in the first place. If you’re someone who works out through being tired and run down, there’s a good chance you’re doing yourself a disservice. Here’s why.
- You probably aren’t able to recover and actually see progress because you aren’t giving your muscles time to heal. The only time they actually get stronger is when you’re resting!
- Your energy is most likely extremely low. When you workout despite feeling like you got hit by a bus, it’s extremely difficult to get a quality workout in. You won’t be as focused as usual, you won’t be as strong, and you probably will just be looking forward to getting it done. To top it off, you’ll be even more run down and tired after.
That being said, if you don’t care and are going to disregard the negatives anyway, here’s how you can workout when you’re sick.
If you MUST, keep it super low intensity. Use it as a deload week to just go through the motions and keep your body moving.This is what I do and believe it or not, it actually helps me get out of the funk. I get a light sweat going and create some blood flow in my body.
Again, don’t be the guy trying to PR while sick. Take it SLOW. You’re not going to lose all your progress in one week from being sick and you don’t want to go too hard and prolong your illness. It’s just simply not worth it. If anything, go light and sit in the sauna or steam room to help sweat out toxins and relieve your sinuses.
You can workout while you’re sick, but it’s not recommended. I know it’s easier said than done for some of you workout addicts out there, but it’s not necessary. Rest up and you’ll be back before you know it with very minimal regression.
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