Is it possible to exercise after a cold? Is it possible to exercise with a sore throat? The effect of exercise on the body during colds

It is common knowledge that exercise helps strengthen the immune system. But if suddenly the cold turns out to be stronger, is it worth stressing the body and continuing training? Are these two concepts compatible?

How does a cold affect anabolic processes and is it worth exercising when you are sick?

The goal of any workout is to accelerate anabolism, which is responsible for muscle growth, and metabolism, which is responsible for the removal of toxins and the breakdown of fats. It has been proven that infections and viruses that enter the body slow down these processes. Effect of execution strength exercises gets lost. At the same time it is noted:

Increased production of cortisol, which destroys muscle fibers;
A reduction in the number of white blood cells produced in the blood, which leads to weakening immune system;
Lack of protein and energy, which leads to overwork and exhaustion.

In addition, when you exercise, blood flow increases. Bacteria that infect certain areas spread faster and can enter healthy tissue. As a result, the healing effect slows down, the time for cell regeneration and general recovery increases.

Is it possible to train with a fever?

An increase in temperature is an increased production of protective cells that destroy foreign substances that have entered the blood, such as viruses and bacteria. At this moment, the body directs forces to their splitting and removal. The heart, kidneys and respiratory system experience enormous stress. If you start training with such symptoms, the body is subjected to excessive fatigue. There is a risk of complications. Therefore, training with a fever is not recommended.

Is it worth attending training if there is no fever?

When there is no fever, but mild symptoms are present, for example, lethargy, nasal congestion, doctors also do not advise exercising. The reason is the same - you shouldn’t put stress on a weakened body.

However, studies have also been conducted which have confirmed that with such symptoms, the recovery time is identical to that of a non-athletic person. In other words, training does not have a serious negative effect on the patient’s body, but it will not contribute to premature recovery.

In any case, it is important to consult a doctor if you have a cold and find out whether it is worth continuing exercise or whether it is better to postpone visiting the gym. Protecting yourself from negative consequences With acute respiratory infections and its complications, each athlete will give himself the opportunity to recover faster and return to performing exercises that are important to him.

“Chief academician Ioffe proved: cognac and coffee will replace sports and prevention,” Vladimir Vysotsky once sang. True, the true meaning of the song lies on completely different planes, but if we take it literally, the great bard was absolutely right: playing sports significantly improves the quality of life. To a healthy body any physical exercise is useful. What if a virus creeps up? What to do: keep the usual rate of exercise, reduce the intensity of physical activity, or completely abandon it?

To understand the issue, let's start with the changes that occur in the body during the period of illness.

You are used to working out regularly, but one day, when you get out of bed, you feel:

headache;
weakness, despite a long night's rest;
nasal congestion;
sore throat.

It is clear: some kind of virus has “leaked” into the body, and now the immune system is undergoing a restructuring - all forces from now on will be directed to fighting the “stranger.”

If the body “feels” that the virus is not dangerous, a significant deterioration in well-being does not occur:

body temperature does not increase;
no desire to lie down;
appetite does not change.

Perhaps a few hours after the start active work protective cells will already make you feel better. In such cases they say: “In the morning I felt bad, and then I went crazy.” Everything can be limited to local reactions: runny nose, mild sore throat, hoarseness. In general, the body functions as usual; the active fight against symptoms occurs at the local level - where the inflammation began. Doctors in such situations diagnose “ARD” or “ARVI”. If there is only redness of the pharynx and sore throat, sometimes with a mild fever for one day, it is said to be pharyngitis. If the voice “sags” slightly and there is a constant coughing, this is laryngitis. All of these diseases are caused by viruses, but, contrary to common misconception, this is not the flu.

In this case, training with a cold is not prohibited. However, there are several limitations:

Don't force yourself to do all the exercises you normally do. Reduce the load to a minimum.
Forget about working out in the gym with weights for a while. Strength machines, weights, dumbbells - all this should be postponed until complete recovery.
Listen to yourself: at the slightest deterioration in your health, stop exercising.

Exercising when you have a cold is not The best way treatment of the disease, because the body is already having a hard time, it spends energy on recovery, and you still require additional effort from it.

But if you are used to a sports regime, have been training for many years and cannot imagine life without fitness or morning jogging, then you can carefully continue your studies.

For athletes who do not want to deviate from their usual schedule, doctors recommend switching to:

running in at a relaxed pace;
yoga classes;
stretching exercises;
dancing.

During colds, you can even “boost” your immune system a little by continuing to exercise, since with moderate exercise, blood circulation is activated, which means that the breakdown products of pathogenic organisms are eliminated faster.

Let's not forget: we are talking only about mild forms of the disease that do not cause sudden changes in the usual daily routine!

Separately, it is worth mentioning jogging. You can continue training if:

follow the “neck rule” (that is, if all the symptoms affect what is above the neck: runny nose, discomfort in the throat);
outside there is a “plus” temperature, which means there is no risk of taking a breath of cold air due to nasal congestion and thereby provoking an increase in the disease;
reduce your jogging time to 15-20 minutes.

In general, if you haven’t given up on tinting, it’s better to move it home from the gym or the street - to treadmill. running on fresh air, you will sweat, and then you may become hypothermic, and then the cold will get worse or cause complications. If you go to gym, then you risk infecting your “colleagues in sports” with the virus. It is unlikely that they will be grateful to you.

The above applies to acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections that occur in a mild form, without an increase in temperature. What if the flu or parainfluenza comes?

Influenza viruses are much more dangerous than common cold viruses. They spread with enormous speed, penetrating all organs and systems. Therefore, the onset of the disease is acute, expressed in a sharp rise in temperature to febrile values - 38.5-390C, or even higher. When you have the flu, it is difficult to even get out of bed, let alone carry out your daily duties.

Important! The body is completely focused on fighting the virus; it has no strength left for anything else. Under these conditions, forcing yourself to do any physical exercise is not just harmful, but can even be deadly! Moreover, you cannot exercise not only in the midst of the disease, but even when the symptoms subside.

Even a low, subfebrile temperature is a contraindication to any exercise! Exercise will warm up the body, and it is already “hot” from the inside, so the temperature can rise sharply, and it will be even more difficult for the body.

During illness, anabolic processes are suppressed (that is, those during which substances needed by the body are synthesized - amino acids, monosaccharides, fats), and metabolism changes. A lot of cortisol, the stress hormone, is released into the blood, which causes destructive processes in the muscles.

The worst thing that can happen if you ignore medical advice and continue training without waiting for a complete recovery is that complications will develop. Any of them is “not a gift”:

bronchitis;
pneumonia;
pyelonephritis (kidney inflammation);
myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).

They are a consequence of the fact that the body, exhausted by the virus, is forced, instead of resting and gaining strength, to spend its remaining energy on doing exercises. As a result, the immune system weakens.

If you don’t need such problems, forget about sports until the doctor gives the go-ahead. Remember how at school you were exempt from physical education for 2 weeks after a cold? Follow the doctors advice - give yourself this release, recover.

Sport as a prevention of ARVI and other viral diseases

If during colds the benefits of exercise are more than doubtful, then as a preventive measure exercise and any other form physical activity- exactly what is needed. Why?

During exercise, metabolism is activated: all metabolic processes go more intensely, which means the immune system is strengthened.

In addition, many sports are also hardening. So, if you are swimming, then the body experiences temperature changes when immersed in and out of water.

If you run at a stadium or in a park, you gradually train yourself to adapt to changes in external temperature. The main thing in this case is to avoid sudden hypothermia. Have you been going for a run and feel like you're short of breath? Under no circumstances should you swallow cold air! Take a step, continuing to breathe through your nose, and walk at a calm pace. Don't stop, don't let the wind get under your clothes.

An excellent way to prevent colds is to swim in open water. Minimal hardening occurs even in the summer, in the warmth, and those who plunge into the ice hole in winter practically do not suffer from viral diseases. Reason: the body is accustomed to temperature changes, so the weakening of the protective forces does not occur at these moments, and the virus cannot “settle” in it and dies.

Note! You need to start any training and hardening from a minimum. A sudden load will not lead to a strengthening of the immune system, but, on the contrary, to a weakening of it.

Walking and exercising in the fresh air as preventive measures is one thing, but trying to harden yourself at a time when the disease has already overtaken you is completely different.

Ideally, you should wait until the condition improves. In the meantime, you feel sick, you just need to open the window at home as often as possible. If it is cold outside, for those 15 minutes while the window is slightly open, the sick person should retire to another room.

Walking when you have a cold is allowed under the following conditions:

body temperature is normal;
no weakness, nausea;
no severe cough;
there is no wind, rain, or frost outside.

At the same time, reduce the load as much as possible: do not run, do not walk quickly, reduce the walking time to 20-30 minutes. If you are diagnosed with influenza or a sore throat, and not a simple acute respiratory viral infection, postpone walking until you have fully recovered. Reason: the body is very weakened, and if you get even a little cold or wet, your immune forces will not be able to cope with the virus or bacteria, and the already subsiding disease may return.

IN healthy body – healthy mind, says the Russian proverb. Let us agree with popular wisdom: only by feeling healthy and physically strong can you enjoy all the benefits of life and provide help to those who need it. But when you start exercising, listen to the signals that your body sends you: if it requires rest, you need to give it this opportunity. Only then will physical education and sports be beneficial!

Is it possible if you have a cold? This question probably worries many fitness enthusiasts. professional athletes and all those who, in one way or another, devote at least several hours a week to training. In our article we will tell you in detail whether playing sports is beneficial or harmful during the rehabilitation period.

Exercising when you have a cold: doctors have such different opinions

Let's agree that we are talking specifically about the so-called amateurs, since doctors categorically forbid training during a cold for professionals whose entire lives are devoted to training. And if we talk about the bulk of visitors to gyms and fitness clubs, then the opinions of experts are divided. Previously, it was believed that one should not exercise during illnesses, headaches, nasal congestion and other symptoms accompanying a cold. The body is already weakened during illness; it does not need additional stress. Other experts believe that sports during a cold (training as usual) will not affect recovery in any way: it will not slow it down, but it will not speed it up either. Nevertheless, doctors are unanimous in one thing - physical exercise during elevated temperatures are strictly contraindicated. Also, the training itself should be done in a light mode. That is, if before illness you, say, spent an hour and a half in the gym, during it it is better to limit yourself to 40 minutes - an hour.

Training for severe acute respiratory viral infections

Above we answered the question of whether it is possible to play sports if you have a cold. However, illness and illness are different. And if the doctor claims that you have the flu, you are prohibited from entering the gym for the purpose of training until you have fully recovered. Moreover, with the flu, complications are possible, including on the lungs, kidneys, and heart. The body is already trying to overcome the disease, devoting all its strength to it, and, believe me, now it definitely has no time for training, even if after taking medications you feel more or less cheerful. And the moral aspect of this action - you are sick, that is, you risk infecting other gym visitors, since places for exercising (of course, if you do not have something like this in your own home) are still considered public.

Exercising while sick: what you can do to get better faster

So, you feel weak, but you still don’t intend to cancel your trip to the gym. In this case, you should remember that the intensity of your workout should be reduced by 40-50%. This applies to both the time of its implementation and the physical activity itself. Also during illness you should pay attention Special attention consumption of clean water - you should drink every 10-15 minutes, this will increase sweating and support your body. During illness, you should give preference to aerobic exercise - treadmill running, step aerobics, and so on. Yoga and stretching are also recommended. But it’s better to leave heavy dumbbells and weights for later - you still won’t achieve the same strength levels that you had before your illness. Accordingly, almost everyone can play sports when they have a cold, but this should be done extremely carefully, carefully monitoring their own well-being.

Exercises during the recovery period

Once your sick leave is over, you can return to the gym and start your workouts again. But there are several nuances here too. Firstly, your body is still weak, and the records that you set before your illness, for example, easily running 15 km on a track or lifting a hundred-kilogram barbell, are unlikely to be within your reach now. Doctors recommend returning to sports loads gradually, increasing their pace over time. In 2-3 weeks the body will fully recover. You will again be able to repeat the program that you performed before your illness. Sports after a cold are recommended for absolutely everyone - both for beginners who have just joined the gym and for those who have been practicing for years. Physical activity also helps you go through the recovery period faster. It is also recommended to pay special attention to nutrition at this time: drink vitamins, eat more vegetables and fruits, as well as lean meat. It is especially important to have enough vitamin C in your diet.

What sports activities are great for strengthening your immune system?

Having considered the various opinions of experts on whether it is possible to play sports when you have a cold, we will also tell you what kind of physical activity strengthens the immune system and helps you not get sick at all. Here is a list of those areas of fitness that, according to doctors, are the most in the best possible way promote health and longevity:

yoga classes;
aerobics;
stretching - regular stretching;
tai-bo - intense with elements of oriental martial arts;
tai chi is a variety where all exercises are performed slowly and smoothly; this type of fitness does not have age restrictions and suits absolutely everyone;
water aerobics - physical exercise in water.

By doing these types of fitness, you will improve your health and, perhaps, forget about the flu and colds. This is especially important for residents of Russia, where epidemics of these diseases occur almost every year in the autumn-winter period.

Biologically active additives

Of course, in order for your body to return to normal, it is best to take a course of any vitamins after an illness. Their selection is simply huge. But there is also sports supplements, which will help you feel better in the first days after the disease. For example, L-carnitine. In addition to its well-known properties (we are talking about burning fat), this substance is a powerful antioxidant. That is, taking L-carnitine after an illness will support every cell of your body and fight free radicals. Echinacea extract is also a powerful natural immunostimulant. Take it 1 tablet 3-4 times a day. You can buy the drug at the pharmacy, it is inexpensive - about 40 rubles per package.

Conclusion

In the article, we looked at whether it is possible to exercise when you have a cold, and cited authoritative doctors’ opinions on when symptoms of physical activity are not harmful, and when it is best to avoid them. One way or another, the decision to continue training is best made independently, focusing on your own well-being. And, of course, under no circumstances should you go to the gym with a fever or overcoming yourself. This will only harm your body, slow down the healing process and, as a result, you will not be able to resume exercise for a long time.

The season of viral diseases rarely passes without forced breaks in training. This problem affects almost every athlete to one degree or another. Doctors have different opinions on this matter: some claim that any physical activity is strictly contraindicated for the patient, others believe that light exercise will not harm the course of the disease or even speed up recovery. In this article we will figure out whether it is advisable to exercise when you have a cold and how to recover faster from the disease.

If your immunity has weakened and you have contracted a viral infection, this is serious stress for the body. All its resources will be directed to the implementation main task— defeat the infection and restore full functionality. Strength training is also stressful for the body, so it is much more difficult to recover under conditions of continuous training.

Therefore, a completely logical question arises: is it necessary to exercise at all when you have a cold? It all depends on how you feel. If you feel normal, the symptoms are mild, your condition is stable, without fever, then a couple of light workouts of 30-40 minutes will not harm you. During sports, profuse sweating occurs, due to which you will even reduce your elevated body temperature. In addition, free radicals are released from the body along with sweat, which slow down the progression of the disease.

However, if you decide to miss 3-4 workouts due to illness, nothing bad will happen. On the contrary, your muscles will be properly rested, and further workouts will be even more productive.

If you decide to go to training with all the symptoms of a cold, follow these simple rules:

Drink at least one and a half liters of water per workout to avoid compromising
Rest completely between sets to reduce stress on your cardiovascular system.
Limit contact with other athletes to avoid spreading viruses throughout the gym.
Work out in insulated clothing so that you don't start to shiver due to changes in body temperature.
The intensity of classes should be below average. Perform 3-4 fewer reps per set than you usually do.

Training for serious ARVI diseases

If the symptoms of the disease are serious, then any physical activity is contraindicated for you. It is better to postpone going to the gym until you have fully recovered, as you risk:

get complications on internal organs;
significantly worsen your health;
infect other visitors.

Don't deceive yourself. Even if after taking analgesics and antipyretics you normalize your condition and feel more or less cheerful, this does not mean that it is time to go train. When you finish your workout, the effects of the medications will wear off and you will feel much worse than before the workout. If you notice symptoms of the flu or ARVI, first wait until you are completely recovered and only then develop a strategy for returning to sports mode.

Exercises during recovery

If you feel that your muscles have lost tone during your illness, you should not immediately start high intensity training with huge scales. If the break was 1-2 weeks, then at first it is recommended to train using the full-body system - that is, load everything muscle groups in one workout. As part of this scheme, the athlete performs one exercise in 2-3 approaches for each muscle. Give preference basic movements, in which you can feel the muscles working well. You can be guided by the same principles, but study in, so the intensity of the lessons will be higher.

An approximate training option for all muscle groups during the recovery period after illness is as follows:

This scheme is just an example of how you can train for the first time after recovery. Exercises, order of muscles trained, number of approaches and repetitions may vary. All sets should be moderately intense - do not work to failure. Rest according to how you feel: in more severe cases, for example, on the shoulders and arms, the interval should be no more than one and a half minutes. In, like deadlifts, rest until your breathing rate is completely restored: as a rule, this takes about three minutes.

If you decide to take a break from training in the gym, but don’t want to lose tone, you can do a few light cardio workouts during the recovery period. Standard aerobic exercise, aimed at burning fat and developing endurance, involves maintaining your heart rate at 70% of the maximum (which is calculated by the formula: 220 minus your age). But while the body is weakened, it is better to maintain heart rate at 55-60% of maximum values. Cardio will help you get rid of excess water and subcutaneous fat that you may have accumulated during your illness.

After 3-4 full-body workouts, switch to your standard split program. By this point, you will have fully recovered from your illness, and your muscles will be ready for full strength training.

What workouts will help strengthen your immune system?

Any workout forces the body to adapt to the load that you set. According to experts in the field of sports medicine, types of fitness with predominantly aerobic exercise help strengthen the immune system:

swimming;
water aerobics;
yoga;
jogging;
moderately intense martial arts training.

By including this kind of activity in your training process, you will significantly reduce the likelihood of developing infectious diseases.

Lovers active image life cannot deny themselves the pleasure of playing sports even with ARVI. It’s worth figuring out whether it’s possible to exercise when you have a cold?

Is it possible to go to the gym during this period, is it possible to run around the stadium, or should you refrain from physical activity?

Anyone who regularly plays sports improves their health, since these activities prevent many diseases. Therefore, we need to ensure that physical activity helps and does not harm our body.

To do this, you need to know whether you can cope with training during illness, whether it will help you recover.

Everyone knows that during an illness, rest and sometimes bed rest are required. If the illness has not progressed to a severe stage, accompanied by fever and poor health, then play sports with pleasure.

But if there is even the slightest discomfort, then physical exercise you should refuse, as they may worsen your condition.

Of course, sport has a positive effect on human health and increases immunity, but this applies to healthy people. Although it is possible to catch a cold after active physical activity.

If a person sweats a lot during training, and then goes out into the cold without changing clothes, then, of course, he can get sick due to hypothermia.

This is due to the fact that within a couple of hours after exercise, the body’s systems are weakened, therefore it is recommended not to become overcooled, and also to refrain from staying in places with large crowds of people.

If you follow all the rules before, during and after training, and also do not overload your body with overwhelming tasks, then even with a mild cold, when it subsides, sports are indicated.

It will improve blood circulation, activate strength, and lift your mood, which will help you recover.

However, you should not go to special gyms at this time where they practice various types sports: not only to avoid health risks, but also to avoid infecting others.

You can think of many ways to play sports: exercise, yoga at home, aerobics, stretching, walking briskly through the forest or park, light jogging.

Any outdoor activity, even regular walking, helps strengthen the immune system. Therefore, you can play sports when you have a cold, but do not forget to be careful against increased stress on the body.

The dangers of exercising when you have a cold

When is sports contraindicated for a cold?

It's worth canceling your run for sports ground, fitness classes and gym in the following cases:

If your body temperature rises to 38 degrees or higher. If your temperature drops after taking antipyretics, you should still not go to training.
For any infectious disease.
Sick of the flu.
Suffering from a sore throat.
With ARVI, if you notice enlarged lymph nodes.
When pain and aches appear in muscles, joints, bones.
In the case when there is weakness, fatigue, weakness.

Training in such situations is dangerous, as it can cause serious health problems.

It has been proven that those people who actively trained during a viral or bacterial infection themselves worsened the course of the disease, provoking various complications.

There were examples when this led to myocarditis, and inflammatory processes in the heart muscle led to death. To avoid such consequences, you should monitor your health and not let even a common cold take its course.

Although there are no contraindications to playing sports with a runny nose, the loads should be gentle so that the training does not lead to complications in the form of sore throat, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

There are people who play sports professionally and cannot take a break from their activities so as not to lose shape for competitions.

If it is not possible to postpone your training “for later,” you need to work out a gentle training regimen with your coach. Depending on the type of sport, if you have a cold, you should choose special complex exercises that will not cause harm to the athlete in this condition.

To wait or not

Of course, if you have time, it is better to wait until the acute symptoms subside and only then begin physical activity.

After all, when you are sick, training cannot provide the desired effectiveness and be useful due to the influence of the hormone cortisol, which is activated during colds.

Cortisol destroys muscle proteins, so it will not be possible to maintain muscles in shape, and there will be no result from power load It's not worth the wait.

In addition, it can affect the increase in blood glucose levels, which can also adversely affect health.

There are also positive aspects to the effects of exercise when you have a cold: for example, it makes breathing easier when you have a stuffy nose. Therefore, if it’s just a runny nose, then this is not a reason for athletes to skip training.

But if the reason is muscle spasms, chest pain, fever, various inflammatory processes, then even warm-ups are prohibited.

In such cases, the body needs to fully recover before starting exercise again.

In any case, those who play sports professionally are under the supervision of trained medical staff who, after examining the athlete, will tell whether he can continue to play sports.

Stages of recovery after illness

After recovery, you can move on to training, depending on the type and complexity of the disease. If the cold was prolonged, then the pause after recovery should be at least a week.

Only after this pause can you begin physical activity.

Even if the symptoms of the disease disappear after taking appropriate medications, the immune system is still weakened, and you should not overload the body.

Therefore, it’s worth starting with small endurance loads.

This does not mean that you need to immediately run long distances - you need to know when to stop everything and focus on your body, what loads it can handle.

If running during a cold was allowed, then after recovery, accordingly, it will only be beneficial. You should not start immediately after an illness with strength training, a complication of the disease may arise, although it would seem that the cold has already passed.

Exercising when you have a cold

If your health allows you to do so and you still decide not to stop playing sports if you have a cold, then you should adhere to the following rules:

It would be rational to reduce the duration of classes from 30% to 50%. If you previously worked hard for 2 hours, then you should reduce this amount to at least one hour.
Reduce exercise intensity by half. Reduce the number of approaches on each machine or exercise by 50%, that is, do 2 times less. Or reduce the load by distributing your strength correctly. It is worth remembering that when you have a cold, strength training is excluded.
Not only does illness come out with sweat, but also fluid leaves the body, so you need to drink clean water every 15 minutes between workouts.
After classes, it is worth allowing the body to rest and recover; perhaps the best medicine in this case is sleep.

They are also gradually restoring the required load after recovery. In the first week, increase the load by no more than 60%. In the second week – from 70 to 85%. And only in the third week can you return to the original training regimen.

Thus, the answer to the questions becomes clear: is it possible to play sports if you have a cold, and is it possible to train in the gym? For a mild cold without fever, cough, sore throat, sports training are allowed.

But you need to know moderation in everything, so you shouldn’t overdo it and experiment with exercise during this period, so as not to harm yourself when the body is weakened and most susceptible to infections.