Training through an illness

As winter approaches and the temperature outside drops, many of us will pick up that first runny nose, cough, flu and cold! It is the age old question " Should I stop working out while I'm sick?" or "Should I tough it out and workout through my sickness?" Well, Mom would tell you to rest up, get plenty of sleep, and consume plenty of fluids. I remember my old high school P.E. teacher would tell me to sweat it out and run laps, which usually made me sick in bed the next day. For most of us, We push through the daily grind and address our sickness over the weekend. Suprising enough, there is not a lot of research on the subject. The basic guidelines if you don't have a fever, and the illness is above the neck easy to moderate exercise may be beneficial in speeding up the recovery process, while reducing your symptoms of the illness. If your symptoms are fever, swollen lymph glands, body aches, and extreme fatigue you should refrain from exercise. Your immune system has been compromised, and recovery is needed. You won't benefit from training through this, but just prolong recovery. A few days off from exercise is better than a few weeks. I also like the common sense approach of listening to how your body is feeling. I know this is tough for you hard core athletes, but you won't lose your fitness level by taking a few days off to recover from an illness. TRAIN HARD, REST HARD!!! Trainer Todd