Is it safe to go to a gym when sick?
When you are sick and go into public places, it is important to ask yourself “Can I possibly get others around me sick?”. If the answer is yes, then it is a better idea to stay home. If you have a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever or other feelings, it can be very easily transmitted. The smartest and safest thing to do would be staying home. This doesn’t mean that you can’t workout at home, it’s just a way to protect yourself and others around you. Here at The Markham Gym, our team of professionals can help you with any questions or concerns you may have about coming into the gym.
Can you workout from home when sick?
Working out at home rather than the gym when you are sick is the best choice you can make for yourself and others. There is a lower risk of infecting and spreading germs to others, so you may have a higher drive to workout. Here is the problem: your normal workout routine is very different from when you are sick. When you workout when you aren’t sick, you tend to breath hard and push your body, which triggers the stress response in the body. When you aren’t ill, the body adapts to the stress to get stronger.
But when you are sick, your immune system and body are already stressed, so adding more stress (from heavy lifting, working out, long runs, ect…) can overload your immune system. An overloaded immune system can lead to you getting sicker and needing more time to recover.
An important tip to remember: avoid your normal workout routine if you think your sickness will make it less intense. It is better to push the limits for a short period of time when you are healthy rather than feeling bad during your entire workout.
If I want to workout when I’m sick, what should I do?
The most important thing to do is listen to your doctors. If they say not to exercise or push your body, then please listen to them and take their advice. However, if you are allowed to workout, then low-intensity movement is definitely the right thing to do.
The best low-intensity exercise is walking, specifically walking at an easy pace. It is important to keep your heart rate low during this time, you should not be struggling to breath or gasping for air. Low-intense workouts are meant to keep you calm and to leave you feeling energized. What you don’t want to do is push your body too hard, if you feel tired or fatigued, then it is best to take it easy that day.
The takeaway from this blog is to listen to your body when you’re sick. Don’t push yourself too hard, remember your immune health is very important and should be taken seriously. Also to remember to keep not only your health in mind but the health of others in mind too, so if you are sick it is best to stay home to workout or maybe even just rest your body.
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