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I have a confession (yes, another one!): I have barely exercised so far this year.
This year, just like every other year, I got a special present during the holidays: a
really bad cold, from my darling little nephews. The boys live in Massachusetts, and let
me tell you, they have some nasty germs there. Heck, I’m from Massachusetts, but
since moving to Northern California I seem to have lost all my immunity. Or maybe kids these
days just have more evil germs than we did when I was a kid.
So, thanks to my little nephews (and by the way, I really do adore them) I returned to the
west coast feeling like there was nothing left of me but my congested chest. But that
didn’t stop me from trying to work out, at least at first. I was tricked by the part of me
that’s always thinking, “There’s nothing wrong with you! You’re just a lazy, spineless
slug who would do anything to get out of exercise! Well, forget it. Drop and give me
twenty, soldier!” So, going on the assumption that I was malingering, not really sick, I
tried to work through it for awhile. The result? I felt better immediately after the
workout. Then I’d collapse. I’d be completely exhausted, and would have to lie down or
actually take a nap. In the end I was even too sick to show up for work.
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Overcoming a Cold |
If any of you are going through the same cycle of colds and recovery that I am right
now, here’s my over-the-counter advice:
- Rest as much as you can. Get as much sleep as possible.
- Drink lots of fluids, mainly water, eight glasses a day at the very
least. I’m not a big believer in juice; you can consume thousands of extra
calories in a few big glasses, and your body doesn’t need those extra calories
to get well. Plain water works fine to help flush the bugs out of your system.
- Drink hot liquids—viruses prefer cold temperatures, so hot herbal teas help
to kill them and also keep you hydrated. A little lemon also helps kill germs, and
honey, used in moderation, soothes your throat.
- If you have to take decongestants, drink even more water.
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How Should I Train When I Catch A Cold?
For people trying to stick to an exercise plan, catching a cold or flu can be extremely
frustrating. Many of us worry about losing the progress we’ve made: regaining lost body
fat, losing muscle strength and endurance, or just losing motivation. So how should you
train when you catch a cold?
The conventional wisdom is that if the cold is in your chest, don’t exercise. Bronchitis
can easily turn into pneumonia if you try to work too hard and train through it. It’s
happened to several of my friends. If the cold is above your chest—i.e., in your nose
and/or throat, provided you don’t have strep—you can work out, although it’s best to keep
the intensity low.
But above and beyond these general rules, I’ll lean on the old cliché: “Listen to your
body.” When you’re sick or have a cold, your body has less energy available than usual,
because it’s using up a lot of energy to get well. So if you try to appropriate that
energy for exercise instead, it can be harder for your body to fight the bug. Sometimes
you only slow down your recovery. When I try to train through colds, in the end I always
have to do just what I did this year: quit working out until my cold is gone. Training
with a cold usually doesn’t work—for me. We’re all different; find out what works for
you.
And here’s another thing to watch out for: don’t punish yourself with exercise. If you’re
like me, still trying to recover from the conviction that you’re a worthless piece of
flab, it’s easy to turn exercise into yet another stick to beat yourself up with.
Remember, exercise is supposed to be a way to take care of yourself. Sometimes taking care
of yourself means taking time off. So don’t stress about having to take time off if you’re
sick. It’s not that big a deal.
“Don’t worry too much about losing fitness while you’re getting well. A cold usually runs
its course in seven to ten days. You won’t lose too much of your endurance over that time.
If you do try to train through it, you will compromise your immune system and more than
likely take longer to get better. The general rule of thumb is, if the cold settles in
your chest, do not work out at all! Just let it run its course and get back into training
once you are well. It is better to be slightly undertrained than overtrained and sick. So
rest up and get well!”
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