“How do you gauge when you’re “too sick” to work out? Having the flu and that level of sick are no-brainers…but what about those days when you don’t feel good but you are still able to function reasonably well?” – You GO, Fitness Girl’s Page
I wanted to address this question since so many people find themselves ill this time of year! First and foremost, I am so glad that you realize that if you’re really sick, you need to stay home and rest. It may sound like a no-brainer to you, but you’d be surprised at how many of our clients trudge in looking like death wanting to still try and work out.
Yes, people come in our gym looking worse than this, still wanting to work out!
Look people: if you’re sick, it’s because your body is too run down to fight it off!!
My business partner Jim Laird always says, “If you don’t slow down… your body will slow you down.”
And he is exactly right. Sometimes it’s just a short-term illness, sometimes it’s much worse like when Jim was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, or when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, PCOS, and Adrenal Dysfunction. We were both pushing our bodies way too hard for too long, and it backfired big time.
But enough about that!
Here are some guidelines to follow:
You should stay home and avoid the gym completely if:
- You have the flu, or flu-like symptoms. Just. Stay. Home.
- You have a fever. Your body is trying to fight off infection. Don’t spread it!
- You have achy joints or muscles. Rest your body.
You can do a light workout if:
- Your symptoms are mild and constrained to your head (i.e. haven’t spread to your lungs/body).
- You’re just suffering from allergies (i.e. runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.)
Notice I said light workout. That means stretching, foam rolling, mobility work, light walking, etc. This is not the time to run your body hard at all. This is the time to take care of yourself and put money back in the tank!
Check out these related articles below:
5 Tips to Avoid Getting Sick Over the Holidays
Are There Times to Push it and Times to Not
So remember, if you get sick, your body is asking for a break. Give it the break it needs so you can recover more quickly and get back in the gym full-force when you’re better!
Molly Galbraith is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Coach who has dabbled in both Figure and Powerlifting competitions. She is Co-Founder of Girls Gone Strong and J-M Strength.Her life's mission is to help women give themselves grace and compassion when it comes to their bodies so that they can discover and accept what their best body looks like.
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