The prospect of a workout when sick may not be alluring to many, but some people consider skipping the gym a grievous sin. So, is it okay to hit the gym when you’re ill?

While your parents advise you to rest and recover, you may think resting at home can cause muscle loss and delay achieving your goals. Although there’s a truth in that thought, there are several other things you should consider before hitting the gym.

In this article, we’ll discuss in detail what happens if you go to the gym when you’re ill. 

Is it okay to Workout out when you’re Sick?

Your body needs rest when you’re sick. As it’s already working hard to counter the illness-inducing infections, it doesn’t need any more external stress at this time. Working at this time may prolong your sickness and you’d end up losing more muscle.  

You shouldn’t be working out if you’re sick. 

But does that mean we should skip gym due to a small sneeze? No, it doesn’t.

Above or Below the Neck Check

Different illnesses have different symptoms. You should avoid the gym if you’re facing these symptoms:

• Heavy Sore Throat
• Fever
• Chest Congestion
• Upset Stomach
• Vomiting
• Injury

In short, you should rest if you’re undergoing a serious illness. However, you can work out when sick, if you have:

• Light Sore Throat
• Nasal Congestion
• Coughing 
• Sneezing

In other words, if your symptoms lie below your neck you should avoid working out and vice-versa. This is called above or below the neck check.

Follow these Rules if you must Workout when Sick

Even if working out at some instances may be fine, you must follow these rules to ensure your safety:

• Use lesser weight
• Lower the sets and reps
• Reduce the time spent in the gym
• Drink more water
• Stop immediately if the symptoms aggravate

You can increase the intensity once you recover. 

Wrapping it up

Now you know whether you should workout when sick or not. Feel free to use the comment section if you’ve got any queries or want to add something we missed.

Read this excellent article if you have undergone a gym injury and want to recover faster.