{"id":62542,"date":"2017-02-15T09:22:28","date_gmt":"2017-02-15T15:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=62542"},"modified":"2023-10-07T09:20:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T14:20:38","slug":"train-youre-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/health-fitness\/fitness\/train-youre-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Train When You\u2019re Sick?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Man<\/p>\n

You wake up one morning, and you don\u2019t feel very well. Maybe your sinuses are stuffed up, or perhaps you\u2019ve got a little diarrhea.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve scheduled some barbell training or a run for later that day, but you\u2019re thinking about bagging the workout so you can just focus on recovering.<\/p>\n

Is that the right call? Should you skip an exercise session when you\u2019re feeling sick?<\/p>\n

This is a question that I put to my online strength training coach, Matt Reynolds<\/a>, owner of Barbell Logic Online Coaching,<\/a> a few weeks ago when I was a bit under the weather.<\/p>\n

Short answer: no, you probably don\u2019t need to skip your workout.<\/p>\n

Nuanced answer: read on.<\/p>\n

When You Should Definitely NOT Train<\/h3>\n

According to Matt, the only times you should skip a workout due to sickness is if you\u2019re running a fever above 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit or you\u2019re regularly vomiting or having diarrhea.<\/p>\n

Matt\u2019s prescription is backed by medical professionals. According to sports medicine doctor Lewis G. Maharam<\/a>, exercising with a fever can cause your already high internal body temperature to increase, which will only make you feel sicker.<\/p>\n

Isolated bouts of vomiting or diarrhea by themselves typically aren\u2019t reasons for skipping a workout, but if you\u2019re doing it on the regular, then from a practical perspective you need to skip; as Matt put it, \u201cYou don\u2019t want to sh*t your pants or vomit on the floor while you\u2019re working out.\u201d You\u2019d also be putting yourself at risk for dehydration.<\/p>\n

Another guideline out there about training while sick is the \u201cneck rule.\u201d If all your symptoms are above the neck (runny nose, headache, sneezing, etc.) go ahead and train. If your symptoms are below the neck (chest cold, body ache, fever), then skip.<\/p>\n

If You Have to Ask \u201cShould I Train Today?\u201d You Should Train<\/h3>\n

Barring a fever or ongoing vomiting\/diarrhea, you should exercise even if you feel under the weather. As Matt told me, \u201cIf you have to ask the question, \u2018Should I train today?\u2019 then you should train. If you\u2019re sick enough not to exercise, you\u2019ll know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

So if you have a sinus infection, low-grade fever, bad allergies, the sniffles, headache, already-concluded vomiting or diarrhea, or just feel under the weather, go ahead and train.<\/p>\n

The reason you work out even when you\u2019re feeling a little sick is simply for the sake of maintaining consistency in your fitness program. \u201cThe goal of weight training while sick isn\u2019t to get stronger,\u201d Matt told me. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to avoid going backward with our progress. We\u2019re avoiding de-training. My clients that have had the most success are the ones who consistently work out, even when they haven\u2019t been 100%. Consistency is key to getting stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

The days you have to work out when you\u2019re sick, Matt calls \u201cBlue-Collar Training Days.\u201d Just like a blue-collar job, the workout that day will be hard, and you\u2019re probably not going to look forward to it, but just like a blue-collar job, you put on your proverbial hardhat, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.<\/p>\n

Adjusting Your Training While You\u2019re Sick<\/h3>\n

While you should train even if you\u2019re sick, Matt recommends changing your workout a bit, so you don\u2019t tax your body too much.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep the intensity [weight you\u2019re lifting] up, but decrease volume,\u201d he says. You can maintain intensity and drop volume in a few different ways. For our example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re doing a barbell training program like Starting Strength<\/a>. One way to maintain intensity while dropping volume would be to lift the same weight you would normally, but do a rep scheme like 2×5 or 3×3 instead of doing 3×5.<\/p>\n

Another way to maintain intensity and drop volume would be to keep the same weight and rep scheme on your main barbell lifts, but cut out the accessory work like chin-ups and dips<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Besides reducing volume on days you\u2019re sick, Matt also recommends dropping any HIIT cardio sessions you might be doing after a training session. \u201cHIIT just elevates your internal body temp, and that\u2019s not good when you\u2019re feeling sick. Just do the main lifts, and get back to eating and sleeping well for recovery,\u201d Matt advises.<\/p>\n

For runners, maintain the same speed [intensity] you usually run, but cut back on the distance [volume].<\/p>\n

My Experience Training While Sick<\/h3>\n

Since beginning to work with Matt back in 2015, I\u2019ve been hit a few times with sickness. The only time he\u2019s had me bag a workout, however, was when I had a fever or was chronically vomiting. The other times, he still had me hit the weights, even if I felt like crap.<\/p>\n

For example, a few weeks ago I got sidelined with the stomach flu and spent an entire night vomiting. I was scheduled to train the next day. I emailed Matt and asked if I should skip. He replied, \u201cIf you\u2019re not throwing up now, then go ahead and train. Make sure you get in plenty of water before the session.\u201d He had me lower the volume, but maintain the weight I was scheduled to lift. That session sucked, but I got it done.<\/p>\n

You may even surprise yourself with how well you perform in the gym, despite being under the weather. A few months ago, I woke up with a sinus infection — congestion, headache, and a general crappy feeling. I figured I\u2019d have a terrible session, but I managed to hit a rep PR on my deadlift of 410×5. I wouldn\u2019t have been able to do that if I had bagged the workout.<\/p>\n

So the next time you\u2019re feeling under the weather and asking yourself if you should train that day, now you know the answer is probably yes.<\/p>\n

Get after it.<\/p>\n

Related Resources<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n