You should never work out if you have a fever, even if it’s just a low-grade fever. Your basal body temperature will already be higher in an effort to ward off viruses or bacteria, so working out will only raise your body temperature even further. This can put you at serious risk for passing out while exercising.
If you’re certain what you have is the flu, you should rest for between two and five days. Then when your fever breaks, you need to wait about 24 hours before you work out to be safe. Your fever will definitely be subsided by then. Gyms already carry a lot of bacteria from all of the exercise equipment that gets used day in and day out, so it just makes sense to wait.
Exercising After Recovering From a Cold
Mild exercise with a cold, however, may actually improve your immune system and help you to feel better with the endorphins that your body releases. Just be sure to listen to your body, and slow down if you start to feel run down or tired.
Be careful with this bit of advice. Many illnesses start out with cold-like symptoms, such as a sore throat or congestion, that later on turn out to be a more serious illness such as strep throat or bronchitis, so by working out, you can unintentionally tax your immune system when it needs to be fighting for you. If you start wheezing or start experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath after about 15 minutes of exercising that is a sure sign that you should not continue.
If you are taking medication to help with leftover cold symptoms, your heart rate could increase. This, combined with working out, may cause you to experience shortness of breath.
Getting Back to the Gym
There are certain practical steps you can take to help reduce flu and cold symptoms. Water helps our bodies expel any built-up mucus from our throat and nose. You can keep yourself hydrated by consuming plenty of raw vegetables, fresh juice, and soup. If the color of your pee is pale yellow, then that means you’re drinking plenty of fluids. However, if your urine is a darker, amber color, you may need to drink more water.
The mineral zinc can help your immune system to create more white blood cells, which can help to fight off a cold or a flu. You can increase your intake of zinc by consuming more seeds, eggs, or shellfish. If none of that sounds appetizing to you, you can just order zinc supplements online.
Following these steps will get you back to working out at the gym in no time. Once you start working out again, start off with light exercises. You do not want to overdo it in an effort to make up for lost time. Exercises such as swimming and walking are appropriate, and you can build up the intensity of your exercises with time.
