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Should you be breaking a sweat?

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Maybe you should sit this one out.

You’ve finally gotten into the groove of your workout and yay… you’re seeing a bikini body in the making! But suddenly you feel the flu coming on. What now? 

Resist the urge to throw on your gym gear and hit the road for your daily run. Depending on how sick you are, all you’d be doing is
harming your health further. 

Stop when you have a fever. A high fever drains your body of moisture and so does a workout. If you combine the two, your body won’t be hydrated enough and you will struggle to recover from being sick.

Check your neck. If you feel your symptoms above your neck (i.e. a sore throat, stuffy nose and sneezing), then you can exercise
with minimal consequences. If you feel symptoms below your neck (coughing, body aches, fever and fatigue) then you should definitely skip your workout until you feel better and the symptoms subside. 

Test your limit. If you can barely lift your head from the pillow, this is a clear indication that you probably aren’t going to be able
to lift weights any time soon. Use your ability to do simple everyday tasks that involves moving to determine if you’d be able to cope
with a workout. 

Change the intensity. Exercise in general, builds up your immune system, so if you can’t give up your workout, tone down the intensity as it might help to cut down on the duration of your flu. So if you aren’t too sick, do gentle exercises and once you are healthy again, you can get back on track with your normal routine. 

Keep others in mind. When you're sick you probably think your illness mainly affects you, but it could affect others too as you're 
contagious. If it’s going to take considering others for you to stay home and rest, then so be it. Keep in mind that you can
spread germs for up to seven days, so at least wait until your fever breaks. 

Sleep it off. If you’re struggling to keep your eyes open, take the hint. Medication can often lead to drowsiness; don’t fight it. Go with it and snuggle up for a sleep. Your body needs rest to recover. 

Good to know 

If you only have a slight fever and would like to do a few light exercises, check with your doctor first. What may seem mild to you could still be potentially harmful. Exercising for 30 minutes at least three times a week can help build up your defenses against illness and infection. If you can do light exercise, rather do it at home than at the gym, where you can spread your germs to others. When you work out at the gym, avoid peak times when more infected people may be working out. Carry a towel to wipe down and sanitise the equipment before you use them.


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