YOU’RE coughing, you have a thumping headache, you’re sneezing and your nose is running like a tap. But should any of that put a stop to your fitness regime?
Cold symptoms are all too familiar at this time of year, with a combination of extra germs and chilly weather making us all feel a bit under par. An excellent excuse, then, to take it a bit easy, curl up with the Lemsip and let our ailing bodies heal. Should we, though, take time to let a cold take its course, lest any kind of exercise makes it worse, or should we tackle the germs head-on, push our bodies to the limit and show the dastardly bug who’s boss?
The accepted wisdom on exercising with a cold varies, with some experts subscribing to the neck-up, neck-down rule. This dictates that, if the symptoms are in your head – sniffles, runny nose, headache and a mild cough – you’re good to go. But if you have a chesty cough or a fever, give the exercise a miss as it could make things even worse.
Others, however, believe there are no hard and fast rules, and that each case should be taken on an individual basis. “I always encourage people to exercise with a heart-rate monitor,” says personal trainer and author of the Healthy Living Yearbook, Tracy Griffin. “There are many reasons for this – you exercise more effectively and to your own fitness level. But also, when you have a cold and you put on a heart-rate monitor, the first thing you’ll notice is that your heart rate is much higher than it usually is.
“What I say to my clients is, because their bodies are already fighting an infection, be careful. Stick with some indoor body weight strength training or some stretching. The main thing is to listen to your body. When you push yourself too hard, that’s when it tends to make colds worse.”
Having said that, there are always those who will look for any excuse not to exercise. “Quite often we start with a gentle warm-up and within ten minutes they’ve totally forgotten about their cold.” Slackers, she’s talking to you.
“I wouldn’t go swimming or go to a gym with a cold,” she adds, “because you’re going to spread your germs all over the place. But if you want to do an indoor workout in your lounge, where it’s nice and warm, that’s good.
“Or if you go outside for a good, fast walk and you have lots of layers on, that can help clear the head. And you might find that’s enough to get your heart rate up to where it would normally be in your training zone.”
If you are exercising outdoors, try breathing through your nose so it warms the air before it reaches your lungs. “You’ll need to take a hankie with you because you’ll get snot everywhere,” laughs Griffin, “but that’s just natural. And it should mean anything bronchial won’t get worse.”
She agrees that germs move around the body quicker during exercise but so do the antibodies. “There is no definite answer because there are so many different types of cold,” she says.
“But the one thing I do recommend is getting lots of extra sleep. And eat plenty of fresh, raw vegetables – carrot juice is great – so you get lots of antioxidants in your system. Good hydration, too, is really important – I recommend people drink bucketloads of peppermint tea. But I would never say to avoid doing exercise.”
William Sturgeon, of Will Power Personal Training, disagrees. “The basic, to-the-point answer is don’t train with a cold. This is mainly because of the stress hormone cortisol. Exercise will increase cortisol levels, which will, in turn, lower the body’s immunity.
“However, exercise alone isn’t the worst culprit,” he says. “Combined with stress or caffeine, or both, cortisol is dramatically increased.”
It is the case that those who exercise regularly have a better ability to regulate their cortisol levels, which means they will respond better to stressful or emotional situations. They also have stronger immune systems, which help protect against infection in the first place.
But Sturgeon maintains, “Having an ‘off day’ at the gym can signal a bug is coming. I’ve rarely had a client who trains when ill and didn’t make it worse. It normally increases the virus strength and they end up having to take time off work.
“So if you’re ill with any virus or infection, stay away from the gym. It won’t help and can’t be sweated out. Also, the dehydration post-workout won’t help matters.
“The body needs its energy and strength to fight the virus, not pound the treadmill. Besides, a general exerciser won’t lose any fitness in the few days they need to recover.”
The Healthy Living Yearbook by Tracy Griffen, £9.99 (www.tracygriffen.com); Will Sturgeon (www.facebook.com/willpowerpersonaltraining)