Will exercising with a cold make you sicker?

Q: Is it safe to exercise when you are sick with a cold? And if so, what exercises are best?

A: Whether you are a die-hard exercise devotee or just beginning to get into a workout groove, you may worry that coming down with a cold could derail your training routine. Does your runny nose mean you need to skip your exercise session or could a workout actually do you some good?

Researchers have looked into this question and have concluded that a mild cold does not always have to sideline you. But there are several key caveats to keep in mind. Here are some things experts behind the research say you need to know.

Do the “neck check”

Before you don your workout gear, assess your symptoms carefully.

“The most popular advice is to do what’s referred to as the neck check, where if symptoms are above the neck, exercise is probably safe,” said Professor Thomas Weidner of athletic training and chair emeritus of the school of kinesiology at Ball State University in Indiana.

If your symptoms are only nasal congestion and a low-grade headache, for example, a light workout should not make your cold worse.

In fact, a landmark study that demonstrated this was led by Prof Weidner in the 1990s. In it, 50 young adults were infected with the common cold virus and randomly split into two groups: one that did 40 minutes of moderate exercise every other day for 10 days, and one that did not exercise at all.

The researchers found that there was no difference in illness length or severity between the two groups – meaning that working out moderately did not prolong or exacerbate their colds. Other research done by Prof Weidner has led to similar findings.

If you do have symptoms below the neck, such as a hacking cough, chest discomfort, nausea, diarrhoea or body-wide symptoms like fever, muscle aches or fatigue, “then it’s not a good idea to exercise”, said Professor Jeffrey Woods of kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via e-mail.

Monitor your symptoms

Also keep in mind that symptoms can evolve, and what might begin as a runny nose could later become something more serious, like bronchitis or flu. Proceed with caution, keep tabs on how you are feeling and skip the workout if you start to feel worse.

“There’s this myth that you can sweat out a virus, but that is a terrible thing to do,” said Professor David Nieman of biology at Appalachian State University and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus.

If you are not feeling good, heavy exercise can exacerbate your symptoms and increase your risk for complications, he said.

“It has the potential to really bring you down,” he said.

If your condition does deteriorate, it is best to rest until the symptoms go away, Prof Nieman said.

“Then, gradually get back into the routine,” he added. “Relapse can be common if you get back too quickly and push hard.”

In rare cases, exercising intensely while you are sick, or even shortly after you have recovered, could lead to new or lingering symptoms such as exhaustion or unexplained pain.

Another unlikely but possible consequence of working out heavily while battling an upper respiratory infection is myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, which can cause symptoms such as a rapid or abnormal heartbeat, chest pain or shortness of breath.

Researchers are not sure how common it is to develop these more serious conditions during or after a viral infection, or why the body reacts in this way. But there is speculation, Prof Nieman said, that the immune system goes into “a strange level” of overdrive that ramps up inflammation.

Stick to moderate workouts

If you are confident your cold symptoms are manageable and you still feel up for exercising, Prof Woods recommended “moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise for 30 to 45 minutes a session”.

A brisk 30-minute walk outside or a low-impact workout on an elliptical machine or stationary bike would be a good option, Prof Nieman said.

Prof Woods also noted that lifting light weights is fine.

But avoid going to a gym, he said, so you do not spread your germs to others. He also emphasised that this is not the time to strain yourself or go for a personal best.

If at any point you feel light-headed, tightness in your chest or any pain while exercising, consider that your cue to call it quits.

If all goes smoothly, however, you might feel a “psychological boost” after exercising, Prof Weidner said, “and that’s a plus, given the symptoms that might drag a person down”.

Once you are fully recovered from your cold, slowly ease back into your exercise routine, gradually increasing the length and intensity of your workout.

Research shows that when you are healthy, regular moderate exercise may actually decrease inflammation, improve your immune response and lower your risk of getting upper respiratory infections in the first place. NYTIMES