Sick and tired…

…of feeling sick and tired.  During the last few days, I’ve been feeling slightly under the weather due the unexpected change in weather (I thought we were done with rains for the year!!!).  I actually detest being ill as I find that it just throws my whole routine out of whack.  Rest and recuperation seem to take precedence over everything.  I guess when you look at it from that perspective, being ill doesn’t seem so bad :D! 

Regardless of how often you exercise, it’s probably crossed your mind whether or not you should exercises during illness.  Especially when you’ve gotten into a good routine, it may feel like a buzz-kill to do nothing. I won’t lie: I’m starting to feel a bit restless doing nothing.  What’s ironic is that the one thing that helps to boost your body’s natural defenses against illness and infection is also what you should avoid doing when ill: EXERCISE.  The general rule of thumb is that it’s ok to go ahead and exercise if your symptoms are above the neck e.g. runny nose, nasal congestion, or sore throat.  If anything, reduce the intensity but you don’t have to stop completely.  On the other hand, symptoms below the neck such as chest congestion, severe cough, or an upset tummy call for absolute rest until your symptoms clear up.

Obviously the above will vary from person to person so just listen to your body.  In my personal experience, cutting out exercise during the 1st few days of an illness always works wonders.  Any attempts in the past to train through just prolonged my recovery time due to the added stress on my body. Instead of worrying about a potential lost of fitness**, I try to focus on upping my intake of vitamin-rich foods and hydrating like crazy. You would think I was a toilet with the amount of water I’ve been guzzling to flush out those toxins ;).

** ‘After taking 2 weeks or more off exercising, you will probably a decline in your general fitness levels.  The good news is that assuming you had a solid foundation in place, you’re likely to regain your fitness levels at a faster rate than someone who has never had them in the first place’- Self Magazine