How to get back to exercise after illness?

The hot summer days are probably over and autumn has arrived. And hand in hand with this not very attractive season comes colds, colds, flu or tonsillitis. And it is during these illnesses that every athlete faces the same question.

In order to help you answer this question, we'll give you a little insight into the possible risks of exercising while sick and show youWe have prepared the following article to show you how to return to strength training after illness.

Stay at home or go exercise?

The answer to the question of whether it would be better to stay at home or you can safely go to the gym should depend primarily on the specific illness you are affected by. While some illnesses are of viral origin, others are of bacterial ones, and thus it is clear that you cannot treat both equally. So, let's take a look at how to approach specific diseases in the next section of the article.

1. Rhinitis and cough

Rhinitis and cough are probably the most common, but at the same time the mildest manifestations of autumn illness. If you don't have an elevated temperature, but just sniffle or cough from time to time, you probably a low- or moderate-intensity workout shouldn't be a problem. Complications arise when your temperature rises, you get a migraine, and your tonsils start to swell. This condition is often accompanied by a loss of motivation and desire to train.

So if you don't feel extremely ill and you feel like going to exercise, you can. However, it is definitely not a good idea to overdo it and exercise even with an elevated temperature, because you can pay a very nasty price health-wise.

2. Flu

The flu is a much more serious health problem. In addition to a high temperature, it also causes chills, muscle and joint pain, lightheadedness and nausea. If you feel like going to the gym despite all the symptoms mentioned above, it's definitely not a good idea. Exercise (in any form) will only make the problems worse and in the long run you risk pneumonia or serious heart disease.

So in case of flu, drop any sport from your mind at all times (including before races).

3. Angina

Angina is one of the bacterial diseases and hence antibiotics are widely used to treat them. So, in addition to the question of whether to exercise while having angina, we also have to answer the question of whether to exercise while taking antibiotics.

First of all, then, to taking antibiotics. As many have pointed out professional websites, taking antibiotics alone is not a problem for moderate stretching, light compensatory exercises and even light strength training. But definitely don't overdo it in the gym.

But it's completely different in the case of strep throat. Since this is a very aggressive bacteria, you run the risk of spreading the infection throughout your body when you exercise intensively. In the long run, you risk heart or kidney disease and increase the likelihood of inflammation and arthritis.

How to get rid of the disease as soon as possible?

Before we look at the actual return to training, a few simple tips on how to get rid of the illness as soon as possible are in order. From my own experience, I can recommend the following:

1. Use vitamins

Very often in our articles we repeat that quality multivitamins are essential. And this is also true when we are ill, when our body needs vitamins C, B12, A, D and E most of all, and from minerals such as selenium and zinc. If you want to speed up your recovery, increase your intake of these substances.

2. Stay warm

Although it is extremely difficult for most athletes to stay in bed all day, in the case of flu or tonsillitis it is essential. Going through these illnesses won't get rid of them and, on the contrary, you're setting yourself up for much bigger problems.

3. Listen to your body's signals

The following advice is perhaps the most important of all. Your body's signals should be the most guiding indicator. If you don't feel 100% well yet, don't go to training. You won't miss anything and there's no reason to panic for a few days without the gym. It's definitely better than dealing with long-term health complications that may take you out of training altogether.

4. Don't underestimate anything

All of the diseases we've covered in this article so far have their pitfalls, especiallyFirst of all, even if you feel well, you still don't necessarily have a win over them. Getting rid of symptoms means that the amount of harmful bacteria or viruses has fallen below a certain threshold, not that these microorganisms have been completely suppressed.

How soon to start exercising after illness?

How soon you can return to normal training after illness is directly proportional to the length of time you have spent without training. After a cold of a few days, you can safely return to training as soon as you are fullym recovery, it's just ideal to complete two to three training sessions at a reduced intensity.

But if you've been out of training for a few weeks (e.g. due to flu, tonsillitisor bronchial disease), you need to assimilate to the load gradually. This process can take more than a week. Start training at a really low intensity and if you don't feel any problem anywhere, gradually add the load each subsequent training session.

TIP: How to warm up properly before working out to prevent injury?

What weights and intensity to work out with after illness?

Whether you have had any of the above illnesses, it would be a good idea to refrain from maximum exercise for a few days. If we're talking about specific numbers, the ideal is to reduce the intensity of your trainingand avoid exercise to failure, intensification techniques and HIIT training.

If you've been out of training for a while, definitely avoid attempting maximal exercise, as the disease could return due to central nervous system fatigue. In addition, your body has fallen out of the training system, and therefore just as likely you'll be weakened and unsuccessful attempts will demotivate you more than anything else.

If you're interested in what popular bodybuilder and Youtuber Ales Lamka thinks about exercise while sick, definitely check out the following video where he discusses the issue:

What is the conclusion?

In conclusion, probably the field of your expectations, comes the clichéd phrase about health coming first. Of course, it's understandable that you don't want to give up exercise voluntarily, especially if you're in training for a competition. But it's important to remember that it's better to skip a few days than to deal with a significantly bigger problems that will leave you unable to exercise. Not to mention, you won't miss much in a week without the gym.

That's all for our article today on exercise while sick, if it hasyou have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments, we'll be happy to answer them.

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