running while sick

[chad.baon]

Hello. Back in high school I used to pray to get sick so that I could get out of work...but now that Im getting back into shape, its my worst nightmare. Ive been going to the gym 5-6 times a week for almost a month now and the compliments ive been getting are great for reinforcing my being there. In addition to lifting weights, I also try to run 3-4 miles a day for weight loss. My problem is that Ive been getting progressively sicker as the weeks worn on, and I was wondering if I should try to muscle through my workouts tomorrow or if maybe there were alternate ones I could do. Today was my off day (from lifting and diet) so ofcourse I feel like a bum and desperatly want to atleast run tomorrow. Is this reasonable, or will it just mess me up even more? Also, Ive heared that saunas can drain you of all the congestion if you stay in for a while, truth? Thanks
-chad

 

[ijt]

For me it depends on how sick I am. I usually don't run at all when I am sick, but I have a stuffy nose alot and it actually helps to run.

Running while you are sick, as long as you only have something like a cold or something small like that can actually help you get over it, according to some google results I found.

Don't push it though, that would be a bad thing. Your body needs the energy to fight off infection and if you burn yourself out you just allow the sickness to get worse. So, cut down the speed and distance of your run and you should be fine.

If you do get worse, stop.

 

[ciara]

It sounds to me that you've hit a common problem for people that start or restart exercising, you've become addicted. It's totally a good thing, in the sense that you're likely to stick with it. But, the idea is that you keep exercising for the rest of your life, not just intensely for a few months and then stop because you've seriously damaged your body in one way or another.
When I took up running, i devised a routine, whereby I would add a little bit each week. And I stuck to it, and I was logical and clever about it, saving one important fact; I forgot to listen to my body.
I got more and more in pain as time went on, eventually had many a torn ligament/muscle (or at least thats what it felt like) and I got a bad case of the flu three times.
Going full throttle IS counter-productive. You HAVE to slow down. Not stop, but slow. Besides, it is on the RESTING days that you go stronger and get fitter, not on the training days.