FITNESS Should you exercise if you’re ill?

THINK TWICE If you’re not feeling well, exercise could make you worse.

Should you exercise if you’re ill?


Personal Trainer
Paul O'Brien

Illness and exercise are not good bedfellows – for the most part anyway. This time of year sees an increase in the number of people afflicted with flus, viral strains and colds – and many were struck down over Christmas and the new year. If you are a regular exerciser, or feel you have just begun to build momentum in your routine, sickness can derail your progress and frustrate you.
But what should you do when illness strikes? You may have heard others say that it’s best to sweat it out. ‘Get out there and run it off, don’t let illness stop you!’ But, is there any merit in the ‘sweat it out’ approach?
A good initial question to ask is ‘What are you afflicted with?’ Is it simply a head cold? Or perhaps something a little more virulent – a flu, or perhaps a bacterial infection? The severity of your condition will determine whether or not you should be exercising.
If you are taking a course of antibiotics or decongestants, it would be worth checking if these impact on your body in any way that exercise could aggravate. For example, some decongestants raise your resting heart rate. This has implications for exercise as it means your heart rate when beginning exercise is more elevated than usual (i.e. your heart is already working harder than normal). In this case, exercise intensity should be decreased.
In my experience, the most important rule when considering exercise during illness is to listen to your body. If you feel any unusual response to exercise whilst on any medications, you should stop immediately and seek the advice of your doctor.
The following tips will help you exercise more safely and also ensure your post Christmas exercise doesn’t lead you to your sick bed.

Fit for fitness

• Always consult your doctor before exercising whilst on medications.
• If you are cleared to exercise, make sure you decrease the intensity and length of time you exercise for.
• When exercising in cold weather, wear layers of suitable clothing – a compression under-layer that wicks away moisture from your skin; a light fleece over this and a light, windproof jacket that can be easily removed and is easy to carry.
• Always wear appropriate footwear and check the weather forecast beforehand.
• If exercising outdoors in darkness, make sure you are wearing high-visibility clothing. Try to avoid exercising in unlit areas.
• Remember to warm-up more slowly and for a little longer in particularly cold weather.
• It’s also important to ensure you are adequately hydrated before, during and after exercise. This can easily be forgotten in colder weather.

Paul O’Brien is a personal trainer and life coach based in Westport.