Is it possible to play sports when your throat hurts? Is it possible to exercise if you have a severe cold? When to return to physical activity
Many of us get a cold at least once a year. Considering that the recovery process can take a week or even two, sports lovers have a question about whether it is worth playing sports with a cold.
Undoubtedly, training benefits our body, but do they continue to do so? positive impact during illness? The opinions of athletes, coaches and doctors differ from each other. Some believe that you should never skip workouts during a “common ARVI”, while others argue that even with a mild cold, any exercise should be excluded.
When playing sports is an integral part of life, giving them up even for a short time seems impossible. This is why many of us continue to visit Gym despite the cold, explaining this by the fact that sports won’t make it worse, and I don’t want to lose the money paid for a month or several months in advance.
Among athletes, there is a “above the neck rule”, according to which you can play sports if the symptoms of the disease are observed at least below the level of the neck. That is, if you follow the “above the neck” rule, if you have a slight sore throat and runny nose, sports are not prohibited. But if this “rule” is followed, complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis are possible, which is why if you are sick, it is better to rest at home and follow the doctor’s instructions, and after recovery, start training again. If you really want to, you should consult a doctor or trainer to change the duration of your workouts and load if necessary.
Looking for the golden mean
It is safe to exercise only if your doctor has not diagnosed you with the flu and has cleared you to continue exercising. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the duration of exercise, which should not last more than 45 minutes, and also monitor the pulse, the frequency of which should not exceed 120-130 beats per minute. This will help avoid sweating and hypothermia, which will definitely not help improve your health when you are sick. 
Even if training for a cold does not worsen the body’s condition, it will still not be effective. Intense workout causes a surge in the hormone cortisol, which is important for immunity, as a result of which the disease can intensify. With an increase in cortisol strength indicators do not improve, and muscle mass does not grow, because this hormone destroys proteins, including muscle proteins.
Of course, outdoor sports in cold weather are dangerous during illness, since profuse sweating, wet hair and hypothermia during skiing and skating are almost inevitable. Exercising in a gym with other people is also not recommended, as there is a chance of infecting others. Even if you are professional athlete, and you have an important competition or championship ahead of you, think about the health of your teammates. If you miss one game, you will not put them at risk of getting sick, and your health, on the contrary, will be restored sooner and will allow you to quickly get involved in the process.
If you cannot imagine your life without sports, then the best solution You will have yoga and breathing exercises at home. Gentle stretches and restorative poses can help relieve stress and relieve pain. Walking is also useful, but here you should focus on your condition, for example, you can simply go to a more distant store or pharmacy. Walking like breathing exercises, will help get rid of sinus congestion. 
If you have a mild cold, provided that you are constantly running, you can continue playing this sport, but the intensity should be noticeably reduced. You need to be careful when swimming, especially if you have weak ears. Even with a mild runny nose, going to the pool is not recommended: chlorinated water can cause allergies or even more severe nasal congestion.
Self-control and love for the body
Do not forget that during a cold, immunity decreases and the possibility of getting sick with something else increases, so visiting public places is not recommended. During a cold, you also need to pay attention to nutrition. Sleep is a good adjunct to medication, as is rest, so it is best to watch TV and use the computer as little as possible. Instead, you can listen to music or an audiobook while lying on a heating pad. After complete recovery, you should not exercise as before - you should gradually increase the load, monitoring your well-being. You can return to your usual routine after a week, which will help the body fully recover. 
Pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back and legs can be harbingers of a cold or any other disease, so if you feel the slightest ailment, it is better to stay at home and monitor further changes in your well-being. Self-discipline is good, but you should monitor your health not only during and after illness, but always. Sleep and rest serve to restore strength, and proper nutrition, hardening and training improve immunity and health in general, which is why you need to find time for all this.
Instructions
Sports loads, even the most insignificant ones, have a positive effect on the body. Proper nutrition, sleep and fitness - these are the three pillars on which human health stands. Why then is it recommended to refrain from physical activity even at low temperatures? And at school, for example, they exempt you from physical education.
At the end of the twentieth century, medical scientists from North America set out to conduct an experiment to prove that sport exercises Not only will they not bring harm to the sick person, but on the contrary, they will help the exhausted body overcome and defeat the disease. During the study, volunteers were injected with a cold virus through their noses, causing the expected appearance of a runny nose. After a certain period of time, when the disease reached its maximum symptoms, volunteers were sent to treadmill. As a result, it was experimentally proven that neither the function of the lungs nor the general ability to tolerate the body power loads The disease had no effect.
It would seem worth rejoicing at such an optimistic result. But this experiment caused a lot of criticism, the main one of which was that doctors used too weak a virus - it practically does not cause complications. In reality, a wide variety of viruses attack a sick person. In addition to damaging the lungs and bronchi, such viruses seriously affect the cardiovascular system. It turns out that when playing sports during, for example, the flu, a person risks encountering heavy stress on the heart, overloading the myocardium. The disease provokes its inflammation, and sports aggravates it. In addition, each inhibits anabolic processes in muscle tissue. Thus, physical exercise contributes to muscle breakdown. And there won’t be any effect for which people usually play sports.
Is it possible to play sports if you are sick? I think no. At best, you won't feel any positive effect from them. At worst, you will aggravate your already unpleasant condition. All the forces of the body are aimed at its speedy recovery; you should not disturb it by forcing it to strain beyond measure. Rest for a few days at home and let your body cope with the disease. Professional athletes will never train while sick; this is the lot of illiterate amateurs.
Instructions
The most common illness that occurs to people has been and remains respiratory viral diseases: colds and flu. Despite the apparent safety of these diseases, it is recommended to stop all heavy physical activity (work or sports training) during them.
Influenza and ARVI are characterized by high fever, body aches and pains and internal organs. The body already feels a huge load (elevated temperature affects the condition of the heart, blood vessels, internal organs), so increasing it physical exercise will exhaust the body even more. At any stage of the flu, physical activity should be reduced to a minimum, excluding not only training, but almost all physical activity. Otherwise, there may be complications in the heart, kidneys, and lungs, which will be more difficult to get rid of than the viral disease itself.
A cold, by and large, does not have dangerous consequences. You can play sports at any stage of the disease, as long as there is no fever or discomfort in the body (except for a runny nose). Professional athletes have a principle of separation: if discomfort is felt above the neck, you can exercise, if below - throughout the body - then you should stop training until recovery.
Do not forget that if you exercise at the gym during an epidemic, you can infect other people, since often gyms are not ventilated after exercise and the infection enters a humid, warm environment that is comfortable for it.
During exacerbations of chronic diseases, you cannot exercise categorically. Exercising at this time can aggravate health problems (especially for lung and cardiovascular diseases). You should wait until the body’s condition improves and only then begin classes according to the “from small to large” principle, gradually increasing the load on the body. The same principles work during postoperative recovery (recovery time depends on the complexity of the operation; it is better to start training after the permission of the attending physician).
It is better to start training after illness gradually, without making sudden jerks. After a cold, you can start training on the 5-7th day of recovery; after the flu, it is better to rest for another 1-2 weeks, no less. Physical activity At this time, it is best to exercise your energy by walking, cycling, and calmly swimming. It is not recommended to immediately try to “catch up” with your teammates.
The cold is considered perhaps the most common infection, especially in children. Everyone probably remembers their school days, when after a cold at school they were given an exemption from physical education lessons. But if everything is more or less clear with children, then what about adults who regularly go to the gym or play sports professionally if they suddenly catch a cold?
What do the doctor's say
According to doctors, it is quite difficult for people who regularly engage in sports to take a break from exercise, even for health reasons. In some cases, when the discomfort after or during the illness is minor, and the temperature is practically not increased, it is not dangerous for a person’s health to come to training. But more often, sports during a cold have more dire consequences, such as complications of the cold, because it is not for nothing that children are given exemption from physical education even after illness.
If everything is clear with ordinary citizens, then what should professional athletes do, whether they can engage in it or not. Especially for them there is a simple rule - “above the neck”, although not all coaches allow them to play sports according to this rule. Its essence is quite simple. If the clinical manifestations of a cold are located above the neck and are mild in nature, such as a slight sore throat or runny nose, then you can play sports.
Practice shows that sports or regular fitness activities during a cold help eliminate symptoms such as nasal congestion, so that the patient can breathe calmly through the nose. Short runs and a few push-ups during ARVI will disperse stagnant blood, which will have a beneficial effect on immune defense body, increasing it. According to track and field athletes, during training they seem to get doping for their immunity.
Any ARVI suppresses anabolic muscle processes and accelerates the production of destructive muscle mass hormone - cortisol. Sport aggravates the situation so much that training has the opposite effect associated with muscle destruction.
If clinical manifestations affect organs below the neck, then it is recommended to hold off on sports in this case. Doctors do not recommend sports for difficulty breathing and chest pain, inflammation and cough, heaviness in the limbs and muscle pain. In addition, we must not forget that when a patient has a cold, he is a source of ARVI, so he is absolutely forbidden to appear in a public place without a gauze bandage. In general, doctors agree that it is not recommended to engage in sports during ARVI. A lot of research has been conducted on how sport affects the duration of a cold, during which it was found that sport does not affect the duration of a cold.
Flu and sports
If sports are not an absolute contraindication for a common cold, then for the flu it must be excluded. Although influenza is classified as an acute respiratory viral infection, it can cause complications more often than other diseases in this group, and the condition of patients during illness is more severe: severe weakness, high fever. A temperature above 37.5°C is a clear contraindication for physical education, as it can cause complications.
Most often, the kidneys, lungs and heart are affected by the flu, therefore, in order to avoid damage to these organs, experts unanimously exclude sports from the patient’s life during the illness. In general, with the flu, strict adherence to bed rest is recommended for at least the first 5 days from the onset of the disease, until the acute period passes, after which you can go for walks.
Sports for ARVI in children
Children with any colds, as well as after them, are given a minimum two-week exemption from physical education. This condition implies that the child is in classes physical culture, but excludes passing standards. More precise periods for which a schoolchild is granted exemption from physical education depend on the type of cold infection and its severity.
The local therapist is obliged to indicate in the certificate intended for presentation to school that the child is given exemption from illness after illness. physical education classes for a certain period.
Even after recovery, students' release is extended for a few more weeks, since they need to return to physical education lessons gradually. Usually, during the first week after illness, sports in physical education classes are allowed, but only in the form of very light loads. If a child gets tired quickly and feels powerless, then it is better to let him go from physical education. It’s just that sports during a cold can require too much strength from a child, whose body has no strength left during the illness, and new ones have not yet accumulated.
Ideally, the child needs release from sports activities at least for a couple of weeks, then he will have time to fully recover, and the sport will bring him pleasure, not fatigue.
Exercise therapy for ARVI
If experts recommend avoiding physical activity when you have a cold, then doing a little exercise is quite possible. According to some reports, people who regularly do exercises are less likely to catch a cold, but even if this happens, you can notice that their cold goes away much faster and is not as severe.
Such a common disease as colds and runny nose often takes us by surprise. Just yesterday you were a healthy person, full of strength and energy, but today you feel slightly unwell and have a stuffy nose.
If you are a professional athlete or just a fitness enthusiast, you will definitely be interested in the following question - is it possible to play sports with a runny nose and other manifestations of ARVI?
Is it wise to visit the gym when the first symptoms of illness occur, or is it better to skip the workout? In the content of this article you will learn about in what cases playing sports can benefit or harm your body.
Recently, information appeared on the Internet that a well-known American college had conducted research in the field of sports medicine. Judging by the results of this scientific study, light physical activity with mild symptoms of acute respiratory infections or colds does not cause any harm to health.
But the scientists of this college do not recommend engaging in heavy sports, since such training can delay the patient’s recovery process for a long time. It should be noted that this scientific experiment was carried out under the supervision of doctors who knew exactly what kind of virus the study group of people was infected with.
In conditions Everyday life we will not be able to accurately determine which disease is a symptom of a runny nose - a common ARVI or influenza. Therefore, while you play sports thinking that you have a mild cold and, in fact, have the flu, the course of the disease can become seriously complicated.
Any disease, be it an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold, has a negative effect on our body, reducing anabolic processes and increasing the production of catabolic hormones, in particular cortisol.
This substance has a number of properties that have a destructive effect on all protein structures of the body, including muscle proteins. Cortisol also leads to increased blood glucose levels and fat storage.
Among the reasons for the activation of the production of this hormone are stress, ARVI and others. colds, starvation, overwork, fear, physical activity. Surprisingly, cortisol's main job is to help the body fight stress or infection by mobilizing all its nutritional resources.
Since amino acids are formed as a result of the breakdown of protein molecules, and glucose is formed from glycogen, our body receives additional Construction Materials, which he needs to restore cells damaged by the disease.
It would seem that the answer to the question of whether it is possible and necessary to exercise when you have a runny nose or a cold is obvious. Such training makes no sense, because not only will it not have any positive effect, but it will also destroy your own muscle tissue.
If you have a strong immune system, then a little physical activity can even help fight the disease. The only question is how to exercise correctly if you have symptoms of a cold.
Light exercises such as yoga often turn out to be very useful and help eliminate the first signs of ARVI. As mentioned earlier, the reason for the increase in cortisol levels is long and strenuous training and the associated overwork. Therefore, in this case, physical activity should be moderate or light.
If after physical activity during an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold you feel unsatisfactory and very tired, then perhaps you should slow down the pace of your workout a little or resort to lighter exercises.
Regular exercise may actually help prevent disease and improve performance immune system. But in this case it is important not to overdo it.
The destruction of your own muscles is not the worst consequence of active physical activity during illness. On the Internet you can find various articles about the so-called “above the neck” rule. There is an opinion among many athletes that when the symptoms of the disease are localized above the neck (pain and sore throat, runny nose), it is allowed to play sports.
Scientists from all over the world have proven this statement wrong. The fact is that the human lymphatic system consists of lymph nodes and special capillaries that are filled with lymphatic fluid or lymph. This liquid performs a special function in our body - it removes toxic substances, harmful bacteria, as well as metabolic and decay products. Lymph nodes are a collection of many immune cells.
With the development of a pathological process in the neck and head area, these formations increase in size and become painful, since it is in them that the fight between leukocytes and harmful microorganisms occurs. Thus, an invisible barrier is created that prevents the spread of infection to other organs and systems of the body.
And if during this period you still risk visiting your favorite gym, then the dangerous infection contained in the lymph nodes, along with the blood flow, will quickly spread throughout the body - and this, in turn, will certainly lead to the development of severe complications.
Important! It is strictly forbidden to engage in strenuous sports with symptoms of ARVI or flu, since in this case physical activity is not so much beneficial as harmful, because it depletes the patient’s already weakened body.
If the disease is not accompanied by severe symptoms, you can resume training. But in order to ensure that going to the gym does not harm a weakened body, you need to know some rules.
- The duration of the workout should be reduced by at least 30%. So, if your regular workout takes 1.5-2 hours, then if there are signs of ARVI, its duration will be from 45 to 60 minutes.
- It is also recommended to reduce the intensity of physical activity by 50% during the period of illness. This can be achieved by reducing the time spent on each individual machine by half or halving the number of “sets” for each exercise.
- When you have a cold, acute respiratory viral infection or flu, the body needs a large amount of fluid. Therefore, when playing sports during illness, you must drink purified warm water every 15-20 minutes.
- During the recovery period, after recovery, it is necessary to gradually increase the intensity of training. In the first week, physical activity can be increased to 65-70%, in the second – to 85-90%, and only in the third week can you train as usual.
- In order for recovery to occur faster, a sick and weakened body needs complete rest and rest.
Whether you can exercise when you have a runny nose or a cold is up to you to decide. If you are confident in your abilities and know how to dose the load correctly, then sports can even help you recover faster. In any case, you need to be aware of the risk of developing complications of the disease. Remember that your health is in your hands!
