EXERCISE WHEN SICK?
SHOULD YOU SWEAT IT OUT?
OR REST AND RECOVER?
Everybody gets sick. But it’s tough to know what to do about it.
Is exercise, or rest, the best medicine? Let's find out.
IMMUNITY
When body is faced with foreign attack, our immune system works hard to defend us.
INNATE IMMUNITY ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY
(NATURAL IMMUNITY) (ACQUIRED IMMUNITY)
Physical/structural Specialized white blood
barriers (like the mucous cells have a kind of
lining in nasal passages) memory; they “recognize”
a specific pathogen and
mobilize more effectively
to fight it.
Chemical barriers
(like our stomach acids)
Acquired immune
response is the basis for
vaccination. Subject your
body to a tiny dose of
Protective cells (like our a pathogen, and it will
natural killer ‘NK’ cells, know what to do when
white blood cells that can confronted with a bigger
destroy harmful invaders) dose.
UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS
Every day, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites come at us. It’s a germ jungle out
there. And the most common invaders cause:
MIDDLE EAR INFECTIONS
COLDS SINUSITIS
INFLUENZA COUGHS
TONSILLITIS THROAT INFECTIONS
EXERCISE SUGGESTIONS
FOR WHEN YOU'RE SICK
ACTIVITIES TO CONSIDER ACTIVITIES TO AVOID
WHEN YOU’RE SICK WHEN YOU’RE SICK
• Walking • Qi gong • Heavy strength training
• Jogging • T’ai chi • Endurance training
• Swimming • Yoga • High intensity interval training
• Biking • Sprinting or power activities
• Team sports
• Exercise in extreme temperatures
HOW EXERCISE AFFECTS
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
ONE-TIME EXERCISES
MODERATE INTENSITY PROLONGED VIGOROUS
BRIEF VIGOROUS
EXERCISE SESSION EXERCISE SESSION
doesn’t cause immune - depresses the adaptive
suppressing effect can boost immunity immune system
2h
CHRONIC EXERCISES
CHRONIC CHRONIC
RESISTANCE MODERATE
TRAINING EXERCISE
stimulates strengthens
INNATE ADAPTIVE
IMMUNITY IMMUNITY
J-SHAPE CURVE THEORY
HIGH
Means that being
INFECTION
sedentary or exercising
RISK OF
too much can lower
AVERAGE
immunity, while
something in the middle
can improve immunity.
LOW
SEDENTARY MODERATE HIGH
INTENSITY
OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING IMMUNITY
STRESS
It’s a big factor that affects the immune system. If you’re sick
and fighting an infection, your immune system will already be
stressed. And if you add the stress of prolonged vigorous
exercise, you might, quite simply, overload yourself.
IL-6
IL-6 (a compound released after prolonged intensive exercise)
may be produced in abnormal ways in some people, leading to
fatigue, flu-like symptoms, and depressed mood.
AGE
Our innate immune response can break down as we get older.
But staying physically active and eating a nutritious diet can
offset many of these changes.
GENDER
Estrogens generally enhance immunity while androgens can
suppress it. And this may explain why women tend
to do better with colds than men.
SLEEP
Poor quality sleep and/or prolonged sleep deprivation
jeopardizes immune function.
Zzz...
CLIMATE
Exercising in a hot or cold environment doesn’t appear to be
that much more stressful than exercising in a climate
controlled environment.
MOOD
Immune alterations affect mood and inflammation.
TRAINING AGE
A higher level of fitness is protective as it may limit the stress
response to exercise.
TEXT BOOK GUIDELINES FOR
EXERCISING WHILE SICK
DAY 1 OF ILLNESS: DAY 2 OF ILLNESS:
SYMPTOMS EXERCISE SYMPTOMS EXERCISE
• Sore throat Only low • No fever Light exercise,
• Coughing intensity • No malaise and by yourself,
• Runny nose • • No worsening of indoors
• Congested nose “above the neck”
symptoms 30-45 PULSE
minutes <150 bpm
SYMPTOMS EXERCISE SYMPTOMS EXERCISE
• Muscle/joint pain No exercise • Body temp >37.5-38 C No exercise
• Headache • Increased coughing
• Fever • Diarrhea
• Malaise • Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
DAY 3 OF ILLNESS: DAY 4 OF ILLNESS:
SYMPTOMS EXERCISE SYMPTOMS EXERCISE
• No fever Moderate exercise • Fever and Wait 24 hours,
• No malaise and by yourself, other symptoms then return
• No worsening indoors improved to exercise
of initial symptoms
45-60 PULSE
minutes <150 bpm
SYMPTOMS EXERCISE SYMPTOMS
SYMPTOMS EXERCISE
• Fever and Consult doctor • No symptom relief Consult doctor
symptoms • New symptoms
still present appear
Some illnesses can indicate serious infections. So if you aren’t feeling better
and recovering, see your doctor. Ease back into exercise in proportion to the
length of your sickness. If you were sick for 3 days, take 3 days to ease back in.
TO EXERCISE OR NOT?
WHAT THE PROS RECOMMEND:
Unless you’re feeling like a train wreck, I always Let your symptoms be your guide. If
recommend low intensity, low heart rate “cardio” during you’re up for a walk or some light
the first few days of sickness. Generally I prefer 20-30 cardio, go for it. If you want to do
minute walks done either outside (in the sunshine) or some lighter weight, higher rep stuff
on a home treadmill (if you can’t get outside). just to keep things moving, that’s
If you keep the intensity low and the heart rate down probably okay, too. But if you want to
you’ll end up feeling better during the activity. And sit around watching re-runs of
you’ll likely stimulate your immune system and speed Married With Children, laughter is
up your recovery too. But even if you don’t speed up great medicine as well.
your recovery, you’ll feel better for having moved.
DR. JOHN BERARDI DR. BRYAN WALSH
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
IF YOU FEEL HEALTHY IF YOU ARE ALREADY
AND SIMPLY WANT TO FEELING SICK, LET
PREVENT GETTING SICK: SYMPTOMS BE YOUR GUIDE.
Stay moderately active Consider all the stress you’re
most days of the week. managing in your life
(e.g., psychological,
environmental, and so forth).
If you participate in high- With a cold/sore throat (no
intensity workouts, make fever or body aches/pains),
sure you’re getting enough easy exercise is likely fine as
rest and recovery time. tolerated. You probably don’t
Zzz... want to do anything
vigorous, no matter how
long in duration.
Manage extreme variations in If you have a systemic illness
stress levels, get plenty of sleep, with fever, elevated heart rate,
and wash your hands. fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea,
muscle and joint pain/
weakness, and enlarged lymph
nodes, get some rest! If you
have a serious virus and you
exercise, it can cause problems.
For the full article explaining this infographic:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/working-out-when-sick
