When you acquire a training habit, it is very difficult for you to leave it. You go to the gym or run whether it’s cold, rainy, snowy or you have a cold. If this happens, exercising goes from being an obligation to a distraction. AND you feel the need to play sports cold even if the conditions are not the most ideal.
When this happens, surely your partner and friends have told you more than once to take care of yourself and that nothing will happen to you for one day when you don’t do sports.
So that you don’t go blank when faced with a warning like this and can respond for yourself, read this article about the precautions you should take into account when playing sports with a cold.
Does playing sports with a cold harm your health?
In principle, nothing happens if you do sports with a stuffy nose or a small cold. Nevertheless, you have to be more attentive to your body’s response and take into account certain risk situations.
Decongestant medications increase your body’s heart rate, so if you practice sports it can make it harder for you to breathe. Don’t forget that when you exercise your heart rate increases.
If you suffer from asthma, you will have to consult with your doctor about exercising with a cold. Your condition could worsen, with increased coughing and wheezing, due to the narrowing of the bronchi.
On the other hand, doing sports with a cold, and also with a fever is not recommended at all. Exercise could affect your body and worsen your health. Wait for your fever to go down before returning to your training. Sport is good, but in moderation.
Too much exercise increases colds.
Although there are studies that show that regular exercise increases your body’s defenses, overdoing it is harmful.
It is proven that the immune system works better when it is not stressed. Athletes who train very intensely and do not plan adequate recovery time catch more colds and flu.
Stress decreases the number of white blood cells and increases the levels of the hormone cortisone, which interferes with the proper functioning of white blood cells.
Rest is very important in sport and it has to be a basic element in your training plan.
A regular exercise routine, with an adequate recovery plan, will increase the number of defenses.
Practicing sports in moderation improves health.
Different studies have proven that the number of white blood cells increases in the body of people who exercise regularly.
According to this research, walking half an hour a day for a year halves the number of colds compared to those who do not do any type of exercise.
But, if you already have a cold and do not want to break the training rhythm, some exercises are more appropriate than others in case of playing sports with a cold:
Most appropriate exercises for colds
- Walk. Walking fast is one of the gentlest sports practices that exist and that more people can do. Twenty or thirty minutes a day can reduce cold symptoms, so doing sports with a cold, if we don’t force our body, can help recovery.
- Jogging or running. Going for a run is another of the most appropriate exercises in case you have a slight cold. However, refrain if you are experiencing nausea, vomiting, or neck pain.
- Qigong. This Chinese meditation technique has numerous benefits in preventing colds. Its movements and stretches are very appropriate to practice in the case of having a cold. It is very good for fighting respiratory infections and an alternative activity if you want to do sports with a cold.
Prohibited exercises for colds
- Endurance racing. If you have signed up for a marathon and you have a bad cold that week, don’t run it. It is proven that a sick body gets worse when it is subjected to considerable physical workload long duration (an hour and a half or more). As we have mentioned, playing sports with a cold is not good if we take it to the extreme!
- Gym machines. Intense strength exercises are not at all appropriate for people who have a cold. In addition to harming you, you could infect those who use the machine that you have used.
- Outdoor exercise in extreme cold conditions. If you have a bit of a cold and it’s sunny, it’s good to exercise with a cold, as it will open the airways in your nose and make you feel better. But, if it is winter and cold, you risk getting worse, since if we do not dress properly or sweat too much we will end up making our condition worse.
As you have read, sports have countless health benefits, even when you do sports with a cold.
However, if you have a bit of a delicate neck, may It be advisable to rest and regain strength to continue with your training routine when you feel better.
And, although all sports are good in moderation, some situations make it advisable to stop exercising so as not to get worse. Remember that Rest is a key piece in your physical activity plan.
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