Is it possible to do fitness during a cold. Strength training during a cold

lovers active image life cannot deny themselves the pleasure of playing sports even with ARVI. It is worthwhile to figure out whether it is possible to play sports with a cold? Can I go to the gym during this period, can I run around the stadium, or should I refrain from physical activity?

Those who regularly go in for sports strengthen their health, since these activities are the prevention of many diseases. Therefore, we need to make sure that physical activity helps, and does not harm our body. To do this, you need to know whether you can cope with training during illness, whether they will help you recover.

Everyone knows that during an illness, rest is required, and sometimes bed rest. If the disease has not passed into a severe stage, accompanied by fever and poor health, then go in for sports with pleasure. But if there is even the slightest ailment, then physical exercises should be abandoned, as they can worsen your condition.

Of course, sport has a positive effect on human health, improves immunity, but this applies to healthy people. Although you can catch a cold after active physical exertion. If a person sweats a lot during a workout, and then goes out into the cold without changing clothes, then, of course, he can get sick due to hypothermia.

This is due to the fact that within a couple of hours after exercise, the body systems are weakened, therefore it is recommended not to overcool, and also to refrain from staying in crowded places.

If you follow all the rules before, during and after training, and also do not overload your body with overwhelming tasks, then even with a mild cold, when it subsides, sport is shown. It will improve blood circulation, activate forces, cheer up, which will help to recover.

However, you should not go at this time to special rooms where various types sports: not only to avoid health risks, but also to avoid infecting others.

You can think of many ways to do sports: exercise, yoga at home, aerobics, stretching, brisk walks in the forest or park, light jogging.

Any lessons on fresh air even regular walking helps to strengthen the immune system. Therefore, you can go in for sports with a cold, but do not forget about the warning against increased stress on the body.

The dangers of exercising during a cold

When is sports contraindicated for a cold?

It is worth canceling jogging on the sports ground, fitness classes and in the gym in the following cases:

  • If the body temperature has risen to 38 degrees and above. If the temperature has dropped after taking antipyretic drugs, you should not go to the gym, however.
  • For any infectious disease.
  • Sick with the flu.
  • Suffering from angina.
  • With SARS, if you notice an increase in lymph nodes.
  • With the appearance of pain and aches in the muscles, joints, bones.
  • In the case when weakness, fatigue, weakness are observed.

It is dangerous to train in such situations, as it can provoke the occurrence serious problems with health. It has been proven that those people who actively trained with a viral or bacterial infection, themselves worsened the course of the disease, provoking various complications.

There were examples when this led to myocarditis, and inflammatory processes in the heart muscle led to lethal outcome. To avoid such consequences, it is worth monitoring your health, not letting even a common cold take its course.

Although there are no contraindications to exercising with a runny nose, however, the loads must be gentle so that the training does not lead to complications in the form of a sore throat, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

There are people who are professionally involved in sports and cannot take a break from their activities so as not to lose shape for competitions. If there is no way to postpone your workouts “for later”, you need to develop a gentle training regimen with the coach. Depending on the sport, a special set of exercises should be selected that will not harm the athlete in this condition.

Wait or not

Of course, if there is time, it is better to wait until they subside. acute symptoms, and only then proceed to physical activity. Indeed, in case of illness, training cannot give the desired effectiveness and be useful due to the influence of the hormone cortisol, which is activated during colds.

Cortisol destroys muscle proteins, so it will not be possible to keep muscles in shape, and you should not expect any result from a power load. In addition, it can affect the increase in blood glucose levels, which will also adversely affect health.

There are also positive sides in the action of training: for example, breathing becomes easier with nasal congestion. Therefore, if it's just a runny nose, then this is not a reason for athletes to skip training.

But if the cause is muscle spasms, chest pains, fever, various inflammatory processes, then even warm-ups are prohibited.

The body in such cases needs to fully recover before starting again. In any case, those who play sports professionally are under the supervision of trained medical staff who, after examining the athlete, will tell whether he can continue to play sports.

Stages of recovery after illness

After recovery, you can proceed to training, depending on the type and complexity of the course of the disease. If the cold was protracted, then the pause after recovery should be at least a week.

Only after this pause can you start physical activity. Even with the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease after taking appropriate medications, the immune system is still weakened, and it is not worth overloading the body. Therefore, it is worth starting with small loads of endurance.

This does not mean that you need to immediately run long distances - you need to know the measure in everything and focus on your body, what loads it is able to cope with.

If running was allowed with a cold, then after recovery, respectively, it will only benefit. You should not start immediately after an illness with strength training, as this can lead to a complication of the disease, although it would seem that the cold has already passed.

Exercising with a cold

If your health allows you and you still decide not to quit playing sports, then you should adhere to the following rules:

  1. It would be rational to reduce the duration of classes from 30% to 50%. If before you worked hard for 2 hours, then you should reduce this amount to at least one hour.
  2. Reducing the intensity of training by half. Reduce the number of approaches on each simulator or exercises by 50%, that is, do 2 times less. Or reduce the load by distributing your forces correctly. It is worth recalling that with a cold, power loads are excluded.
  3. With sweat, not only the disease comes out, but also the fluid from the body, so you need to drink clean water every 15 minutes in between workouts.
  4. After classes, it is worth giving the body a rest and recovery; perhaps the best medicine in this case is sleep.

They also gradually restore the desired load after recovery. In the first week, increase the load by no more than 60%. In the second week - from 70 to 85%. And only in the third week you can return to the original mode in training.

Thus, the answer to the questions becomes clear: is it possible to play sports with a cold, and is it possible to train in the gym? With a mild cold without fever, cough, sore throat, sports training is allowed.


But in everything you need to know the measure, so you should not overdo it and experiment with loads during this period, so as not to harm yourself when the body is weakened and most susceptible to infections.

A cold can lower your energy levels, so you are more likely to feel weak in your body. But even 20 minutes of walking can improve your well-being and relieve the symptoms of a cold.

If your sinuses are blocked, walking will encourage you to take a deep breath and help open them. Of course, if you find that walking or any physical activity worsens your condition instead of improving it, stop and focus on rest. Although there has been little research on how exercise can affect the duration of a cold, studies have shown that people who exercise regularly tend to get sick less overall.

Best: Running

Can you run with a cold? The answer is yes. As long as jogging is part of your Everyday life there is no reason why you should skip it just because of a slight runny nose. “Runners say that running helps them feel better when they are sick,” says Andrea Hals, an osteopath, family doctor (and runner). "Running is a natural decongestant that can help clear your head and feel normal again."

You can reduce the intensity of your regular workout, says Hughes, since your body is already overworked to fight infection. Experts recommend stopping jogging completely if you experience flu-like symptoms or lower neck symptoms such as nausea or vomiting.

Best: Qigong

This type of slow, mindful movement intersects with martial arts and meditation. These low-intensity exercises have been used for thousands of years to reduce stress and anxiety, improve circulation, and increase energy levels. In Chinese medicine, this is called regulating the body's "Qi" or energy force.

There is some modern evidence that qigong has an immunity-boosting ability: a 2011 study in University of Virginia showed that varsity swimmers who worked in groups who practiced qigong at least once a week had a 70% lower incidence of respiratory infections, compared with their teammates who practiced qigong less frequently.

Worst: Endurance running

If you are running a marathon, you should postpone your race if you are sick, or even if you are on the mend. Regular jogging stimulates the immune system and helps maintain good level health, but too much regular, high-intensity exercise can have the opposite effect.

Best: Yoga

Is it possible to practice yoga with a cold? When you have a cold, your body releases cortisol (the stress hormone). Studies show that stress relief methods through yoga and breathing exercises may help boost immunity. Plus, gentle stretching can help relieve pain associated with colds and sinus infections.

During illness, favor a slower style of practice such as Hatha Yoga or Iyengar Yoga. Or focus on restorative poses like Child Pose and Feet on the Wall while doing it at home. And don't forget to say "Om": a Swedish study found that "hum" is good way open clogged sinuses.

Worst: Exercising at the gym

In addition to training methods when you have a cold, it's also important to consider where you're exercising. If your workout includes going to the gym and socializing with other people, you need to ask yourself if you want someone else to have your infection.

You probably wouldn't like the person exercising next to you on the treadmill or elliptical machine sneezing and coughing while wiping their nose. Therefore, it is best not to visit the gym during a cold to avoid infecting other people - instead, do a light workout at home. Germs can spread easily on the machines and in the locker room, so it's best to stay away while you're contagious.

Best: Dancing

Attending a Zumba dance school or a dance cardio class, or even just dancing to your favorite tunes while cleaning the house can serve as a stress-reducing tool. In fact, one study found that people who simply listened to 50 minutes of dance music had less cortisol and more antimicrobial antibodies, clearly indicating a boost in their immune system.

Dancing makes you sweat well without putting too much strain on your joints (or exacerbating a cold-related headache). You can also move at your own pace: relax on days when you don't feel 100 percent and try to just enjoy the movement.

Worst: Lifting weights

Can I exercise when I have a cold? Your strength and performance will likely be reduced while your body fights off a cold. This is especially true if you don't get enough sleep, which also increases the risk of injury during strength training (bodybuilding, powerlifting, or weight training). In addition, the muscle tension required to lift weights can cause sinus pressure and headaches, which can make you feel worse.

Still don't want to miss your strength training? Cold workouts then should be done at home where you won't be spreading germs and sharing your sickness with other lifters, and give yourself a break by using lighter dumbbells than usual. Increase the reps, not the weight, if you want to defy the disease.

Best or Worst: Swimming and biking

Is it possible to play sports with a runny nose and cough? Definitely yes, but not all sports will do. Like walking and jogging, other forms of moderate cardio can help relieve nasal congestion and boost energy levels, but these activities won't work the same for everyone.

Swimming, for example, can be quite refreshing and can help open your airways. For people with allergies, it can also help by washing away pollen and dust. But some people may find it difficult to breathe when they have nasal congestion, or chlorinated water can be irritating. Cycling can also be a pleasant, moderate exercise, but can dry out nasal passages and increase symptoms such as a sore throat and runny nose.

Worst: Team sport

Just like using machines in the gym, sports that involve physical contact can help spread the disease. If you are a professional athlete, your coaches and teammates can expect you to be there no matter what. But in fact, they will thank you for trying to recover faster while sitting at home, since the risk of infecting others is very high.

Colds and flu are spread by airborne droplets (sneezing, coughing), as well as through handshakes. If you wipe your nose and then pass the ball, you just might infect others. A study conducted in 2011 in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that sports teams are subjected to high risk outbreaks of stomach flu among members.

Worst: Any outdoor sport in cold weather

Sports during a cold low temperatures (winter time) can be harmful to some people. Contrary to popular belief, cold weather by itself will not lower immunity or promote disease - even if you go out without a coat or you sweat so much that your hair gets wet.

However, it often happens that cold, dry air restricts or irritates the airways, causing a runny nose, cough, or asthma-like symptoms. If you find yourself sensitive to these conditions, winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing can be even more difficult when you get a cold.

Plus: What about allergies?

Sometimes what people mistake for recurring symptoms of a mild cold (sneezing, headaches, nasal congestion) is actually an allergy. If you find that these symptoms appear at the same time of the year, you can ask your doctor for a referral for allergy testing.

Allergy to pollen and ragweed can make sports on outdoors difficult in spring and autumn, while allergies to dust, mold or cleaning products will occur during training at the gym or in other enclosed spaces. If you can determine the cause of your symptoms, antihistamines or other treatment will likely help you get back to your normal life - and your regular workout routine.

Is it possible to play sports at a temperature of 37 - 38°C?

Sports with a cold may be acceptable, but if you have a fever, any physical activity must be postponed. Elevated body temperature is a limiting factor, says Lewis G. Maharam, MD medical sciences, sports medicine specialist. “The danger is that when you exercise, you raise your core temperature, but since you already have a fever, it can make you even more sore,” he says. If your body temperature is above 37 degrees, you need to stop exercising until you get better.

Is it possible to play sports with a cold? As you can see, it is possible, but not all sports are suitable and not in all cases. If you feel unwell, your body temperature is elevated, you are shivering - postpone your workout, get more rest and make every effort to ensure that

Hello everyone, everyone and everywhere! Today we will move away from the “technical” topics we are used to in developing our body and talk about such a type of activity as training after an illness. We will analyze in detail and answer such questions: is it worth showing your nose in the gym at all, how to enter the training process as efficiently as possible, how to reduce the time spent in the “non-standing” state, and others from the “how” series.

I want to immediately warn you that here you will not see tons of symbols (Ugh, finally :)) and some super-unusual secrets, everything will be quite simple, but tasteful. So, prepare a mug of Theraflu and a blanket, we begin.

Flu and colds: training after illness

In the first lines of this article, I want to say that we owe it to one of our readers, who, using magical tools - a computer keyboard and, asked a question of interest to him about training after an illness. Actually, this is the letter.

This post is the answer.

I have never hidden my universal respect for my readers - people who are interested in sports in all its manifestations. This time I decided to go even further, and in order not to "soil" the mail, I decided to shine this material on the answer. In addition, the subject of the letter - training after an illness, seemed to me very lively, interesting and relevant, especially since the holiday season, influenza, acute respiratory infections and other cholera are outside :). Well, since these misfortunes usually knock down at the most inopportune moment, then you need to know how to effectively deal with them and, in general, how to enter the training process after them if you are fitness or lifting iron. After reading this note, you will develop a strong immunity to all infection and find out how you need to start your training, and whether it is possible to turn over at all when the disease has covered you with a copper basin.

Well, let's go find out...

Training after illness: the theory of the issue

Cough, runny nose, headache, I think you know all these symptoms of the disease firsthand. But if a worldly person can afford to take a ballot at work and mow down for a few days (so to speak, take a break from the authorities), then for a regime person (which for the most part are all sports people, bodybuilders, )- this is the most undesirable and nasty attack. Why? Everything is very simple.

In the gym, you have specific goals, you conduct classes in accordance with your own, eat right, rest as expected and then bam, you fell down in one minute and the whole regime is down the drain :). However, this is not the most offensive, the most is the loss of mood, some indicators of training (strength, endurance, etc.) and in some cases even a conditioned body shape. prolonged illness ( 3-4 weeks) can throw you far back, and you have to start all over again.

That is why almost all athletes try to make every effort to avoid various “home-lying” infections, and even more so not to thunder with him in a hospital bed. However, we do not live in an incubator, but in society, and no matter how “puffed up” you are, sometimes it happens to catch an infection from someone else. Also, the person himself can slightly weaken control, and the very next day he will fall down with a temperature, in general, no one is safe from this.

So let's imagine a situation where we (going to the gym three times a week) suddenly we wake up in the morning and understand that here she is - a “cheerleader” has come to us. What to do, we will analyze further.

How do we get sick?

The most common viruses (especially during chilly autumn) are those that are transmitted sexually by airborne droplets, these include:

  • flu;
  • ARVI/ORZ;
  • cold:
  • angina;
  • mumps.

Many do not understand what is the difference between ARI (acute respiratory disease), SARS (acute respiratory viral infection) from the flu, and whether it exists at all. Yes, it is, and the following image will help you clearly understand this (clickable).

The common cold is an overproduction of viruses that originally live in the person himself, which is caused by hypothermia of the body. (cold drink, drafts, etc.). It is very easy to grab, especially after a workout, when you went into the shower all so hot, dried yourself badly and went straight out into the street, where it is no longer summer. Or he just decided to cool off under the air conditioner and on you - he caught a cold.

Angina - inflammation of the tonsils and pharyngeal ring, most often caused by viruses and various bacteria. Influenza is a severe viral infection that simultaneously affects the nose, throat and lungs of a person.

Note:

SARS and acute respiratory infections differ only in that the former is caused by viruses of different families (influenza, parainfluenza) from outside, the second is most often a disease of the respiratory tract.

All these “diseases” are interconnected and can freely flow from an easier to a more complex stage and give serious complications, increasing the duration of a person’s lying down. Usually, the first thing he catches is the flu, then everything else can catch up :).

The symptoms of all diseases are approximately the same, and in one word they can be described as - "nothing fell on the fig." In particular, during the flu season, you may have:

  • heat (39 and higher) ;
  • headache;
  • muscle pain;
  • aches in the joints;
  • runny nose (nose full of snot);
  • dry cough and sore throat.

Here is such a sickly bunch of flu brings with it.

Well, I think that you can do just fine with such an activity as getting sick without me, but what to do is already much more interesting, and here I will be happy to help you.

So, you woke up and realized that you were “flying”, and on the calendar there is just a killer strength training and hard work with. There may be several options for the development of events.

Option number 1. Do not turn over

It implies a complete lack of physical activity, i.e. we don’t go to the gym, we don’t work out at home either, we reduce all household movements to a minimum.

What not to do: watch a box (more than 2 hours), hang out on the Internet, tryndet on Skype / phone, go to the cinema, turn on music.

What can you do: sleep 8-9 hours, cram food (minimum 4 times per day), properly treated (more on this later), read, think over a further training strategy - keep a training diary.

Recovery time: 5-7 days.

Option number 2. home fitness

If the brain adequately perceives the incoming information, the temperature is up to 38 degrees and you don’t want to lie in a log at all, then you can replace intensive workouts in the gym with light activity at home.

What not to do: run / jump, perform intense exercises.

What can be done: perform articular gymnastics, light stretches, hitches, do exercises with your own weight - abs, push-ups, etc. Everything is slow and calm.

Recovery time: 7-9 days.

Option number 3. I'll try and go

I will say right away that this option is not for everyone. It will suit zealous fans who cannot imagine even a minute without a gym and professional (including speakers) athletes. To be honest, I myself practiced just such an option a couple of times, it's no secret that training significantly raises your emotional level, and they forget all the hardships and problems worldly life. Your painful condition seems to fade into the background, and you think not about aspirin and a heating pad, but about how many approaches are left to complete. This is distracting and in some cases helps to “heal” the disease even faster :).

What not to do: work with standard weights, increase intra-abdominal pressure in every possible way, perform exercises with the usual intensity, listen to the player.

What you can do: light cardio sessions on (bicycle, ellipsoid) on 5-7 minutes, work with a reduced 50-60% load, perform a warm-up / hitch.

Recovery time: Varies (average 10 -15 days).

It is also worth understanding that in order to fight the infection, the body mobilizes its immune system and tries to direct all its forces to eliminate the malware. If you have not noticed before yourself that the immune system zealously defends your interests against the disease, but on the contrary behaves sluggishly and reluctantly, then you should save your strength and not waste it on the side, i.e. in the room. Training is a very energy-consuming process, and if the body is weak (constantly sick, easy to infect), then it’s better not to deplete his reserves once again and use them for recovery.

Note:

The most optimal solution for ordinary amateurs is options No. 1 and No. 2. Do not worry that the disease will unsettle you and cause significant damage to the results. It has been proven that only monthly downtime can affect the reduction muscle mass athlete, so a week's respite will not make great weather.

So go over these again. 3 options and think, based on the current state of health and past knowledge, about the regenerative abilities of your body, where to stop. Whichever option you choose, effective treatment The anti-malware process can take several weeks.

Disease Prevention Measures

Here is a set of measures that are aimed at both prevention and direct control of the most common colds.

Prevention:

  • Plentiful drink (men - up to 3 liters clean water; women are more 2 liters);
  • Vitamin C - rub 10 tablets into powder and drink with a glass of water;
  • Take glutamine from the pharmacy;
  • Watch for overwork and;
  • Oxolinic ointment in the nose;
  • Eat Right 4-5 once a day (vegetables, dairy products incl.);
  • rest before 8 hours per day;
  • Carry out wet cleaning and often ventilate the room;
  • Wash your hands often;
  • hardening procedures (alternate between cold and warm showers), visit .
  • Throw away your outpatient card from the clinic :)
  • Onion / garlic drops - squeeze the juice, add a little honey and bury in the nose;
  • Iodine mesh is an effective remedy to soften and get rid of cough;
  • Lemon Juice - Cut open a lemon, open your mouth wide and squeeze the juice directly onto your tonsils. Effective against angina;
  • Gargling with sea salt (1 tablespoon per glass of water);
  • Use aerosols Cameton and Stopangin to treat the throat;

Let's say you applied some of these tips and quickly got rid of the disease. Now the next stage is the correct entry into training after an illness. Here's what it should look like:

  1. Let go after the illness at least 3 day and only then go to the hall;
  2. Warm up longer than usual - on average more 10 minutes. At first, you need to work with your cardiovascular system - prepare it for the upcoming loads after the break;
  3. At first, give up your usual - T-shirts and shorts. Any draft can make its own adjustments to your training process;
  4. Work at half intensity. You have nowhere to rush, so slowly approach your “pre-painful” indicators. Cut the number of sets in half.
  5. Gain momentum gradually, from workout to workout: 1 workout - 60% weight from the usual, 2 70% and so on until you return to your normal mode;
  6. And finally, a little gag (And who was it all from? :)). Interesting fact- now more 1,5 I haven’t been sick at all for years, I didn’t notice a runny nose or cough behind me, although I live in Siberia, where for the most part it’s winter and temperatures over 30 are normal. Let me share how I do it.

    Firstly, I abandoned my medical card, i.e. she is not in my hospital, not at home, but far away, I would even say that she is virtually lost. I have no temptation and thoughts that if I get sick, I have to blow into the clinic, i.e. all bridges are burned.

    Secondly, I constantly take a contrast shower after training. (1 minute - hot; 40 sec - cold and so on in a circle). Thirdly, I drink a simple vitamin drink (rosehip syrup, vitamin C, honey, lemon juice - everything is kneaded in 0,6 liters of water). And fourthly, I dress warmly, always covering the most ventilated parts - the neck and buttocks tailbone.

    Try to practice these points, and all ailments will bypass you! That's all, let's sum up all this "boltology".

    Afterword

    Training after illness - is it necessary? This is the question we tried to answer today, and I think that we have managed to do it to the fullest. Listen to your body, because it is the most precision instrument of all created, learn to correctly recognize its signals and make the right decisions. And then no illnesses will prevent you from achieving your goals.

    On this minor note, I say goodbye to you, until we meet again, comrades-in-arms!

    PS. Do not pass by an individual redneck - buttons social networks and generously share information with your like-minded people.

    With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Everyone involved in sports doesn't even have to bodybuilding, faced with colds, which sometimes occur at the most inopportune moment. Although it is difficult to imagine the "right moment" for disease. After all, we never plan it.

And so, if you still get sick, or just catch a cold, is it worth going to the gym? cold workouts- not the most the best option, although much depends on the degree of the disease.

If you have just started to get sick, at the first symptoms of a cold, you should immediately change intensity and working weights. If you reduce working weights by 50%, this will not negatively affect muscle growth, for that you will save energy to fight the disease. In some cases, it is worth giving up training altogether. Much here depends not only on the symptoms, but also on how you tolerate viral diseases. Personally, I endure it hard, so I immediately exclude training for a cold. It is better to wait a day or two, and then, after the symptoms disappear, go to the gym. It will be much worse if you do not allow the body to overcome the disease by spending all the energy in the gym, and get even sicker, after which you have to give up the gym for a week, at least. You will also lose weight when you are sick.

Research

Scientists from the American College of Sports Medicine have proven that exercising at a moderate pace with mild symptoms of a cold is not harmful to health. Whereas power training(bodybuilding or powerlifting) worsened recovery rates. It is generally accepted that exercise can reduce the risk of a cold, but until now it has not been clearly known how sports and a cold are combined at the same time. In any case, most doctors agreed that exercise can worsen the course of a cold, even if you feel well and have mild symptoms.

As a rule, a cold strikes each person on average 2-5 times a year, and in duration it can reach 1-2 or even three weeks until complete recovery. This shows that even mild colds can seriously hinder progress in bodybuilding and other sports.

During the study, about 50 volunteers were tested, a list of which were student volunteers, they were injected with infected serum and observed for 10 consecutive days. Half of them did not exercise throughout the disease, while others continued to actively train.

Both groups of subjects were subjected to daily stress: running and exercising on simulators. At the end of the study, the researchers found that both groups had similar recovery rates, suggesting that moderate exercise did not affect recovery, symptom severity, or complications. It is important to note that the subjects who underwent high-intensity training (which is in fact equivalent to regular bodybuilding training) had worse recovery rates.

Criticism of the study

AT this study a mild strain of the common cold virus was used, which almost never causes health complications. However, in ordinary life, a person is exposed to infection of a wide variety of viruses that can affect the lung tissue, bronchi and, most importantly, the cardiovascular system and muscles.

For example, sometimes the flu is almost impossible to distinguish from a mild SARS. If you exercise while you are sick with the flu, even if you feel well and have almost no cold symptoms, you risk serious heart complications, as the flu virus causes inflammation of the myocardium. Physical exercises lead to overload of the myocardium, and the development of irreversible complications is possible!

Any cold (even in a mild form) leads to the suppression of anabolic processes in the muscles and activates the secretion of the catabolic hormone cortisol, which destroys the muscles. Physical exercise exacerbate catabolic processes, and in the presence of delayed anabolism, you will not get positive effect from strength training, and even vice versa, training will destroy your muscles.

Conclusion

It is obvious that colds and sports are not compatible. You will not get positive results from training in the peak phase of the disease. Do not exercise if you have a cold until all symptoms of the disease have disappeared and you begin to feel well. If the disease was severe, then it is necessary to refrain from training for 3-4 additional days, until complete recovery, in order to avoid complications and muscle destruction.

How to treat a cold?

Measures aimed at the cause and pathogenesis of the disease:

  • Drink plenty of fluids - up to 3 liters per day. Drinking plenty of water has been proven to speed up recovery.
  • Eat raw onions and garlic. These plants contain phytoncides that destroy disease-causing elements.
  • Take vitamin C at a dose of 1000 - 2000 mg per day.
  • Take complex vitamins.For the destruction of almost all respiratory viruses, the drug Cycloferon is highly effective (has a high cost). The popular drug Arbidol (moderate cost) is much less effective. The drug Anaferon - as studies have shown, is generally ineffective. It is advisable to use these drugs only from the first day of the disease.
  • Gargle with Rotokan (low cost) - extract of chamomile, calendula and yarrow. The tincture cleanses the mucosa and suppresses inflammation.
  • If cough is pronounced, take expectorants - ACC or Ambrobene (Ambroxol)
  • Physical activity and sports with a cold (especially in the active phase of the disease) are not desirable.

Measures to relieve symptoms:

  • Antipyretics (complex remedy TheraFlu has proven itself especially well as a symptomatic remedy).
  • Lozenges for cough suppression and pain relief (Travisil, Strepsils, etc.)
  • If cough is pronounced, use Glycodin or Tussin+ syrups.
  • Sprays to eliminate the feeling of sore throat and irritation in the nose - Kameton

How to prevent the development of a cold and strengthen the immune system?

  • Take a vitamin-mineral complex 2-4 times a year
  • Don't Overwork
  • Take Glutamine
  • Take Extra Vitamin C During an Epidemic
  • Take echinacea extract (herbal immunomodulator) during the epidemic
  • Practice hardening

For many people, sport is an important part of their lives. And if a person catches a cold, which often does not even insure healthy lifestyle life, then the question of whether it is possible to play sports during a cold will be relevant for him. Let's try to figure out if any training is allowed during this period.

Experts say that during colds and other diseases, it is better to refrain from physical activity, since the body at this time is struggling with pathogens, and additional stress on the muscles can only aggravate the situation. Doctors usually categorically forbid patients to visit GYM's until complete recovery, otherwise the course of treatment will be delayed for a long time.

But there are also experts who do not share this point of view and argue that sports with a cold are allowed, but according to a light program. The body struggles with the pathogens that provoked the disease, and light loads will not harm it in any way. However, they will not do any good either, which is why most doctors agree that it is better to wait until complete recovery.

Illness and physical activity: what happens in the body

If a person goes in for sports, then after training, his body is still weakened for some time. This is due to the fact that the muscle system needs time to recover. If you go out into the cold immediately after a workout, there is a considerable risk of catching a cold.

During colds, the body produces a large number of the hormone cortisol, which has a destructive effect on muscle tissues and fibers.

AT large quantities this substance is produced in the presence of factors such as overwork (including after training), stress, fear, starvation, and illness.

This hormone also has useful feature, which is to attract nutrients. In case of illness, the body needs building material, which is glycogen and amino acids. Cortisol is involved in the breakdown of proteins into amino acids, and glucose into glycogen. In this case, the body stores Construction Materials that he will need to recover.

One of the main arguments why it is impossible to play sports after an illness is that classes at this time will not bring any positive dynamics. Sport most often only worsens the patient's condition. In addition, the active effect of cortisol will not have a positive effect on the body of an athlete with a cold, but can only contribute to the destruction of muscle mass.

Avid athletes who cannot imagine themselves without training believe that you can play sports when you are sick, following the so-called “above the neck” rule. Its essence is that if the symptoms of the disease appear above the neck, training is allowed. That is, if a person has a sore throat, head, teeth, stuffy nose, inflamed tonsils, classes are allowed. It is not known where this rule came from, but following it, according to experts, can provoke dangerous complications.

To understand why this is the wrong approach, you need to understand a little about what the lymphatic system is. It consists of lymph nodes and other small vessels. They are filled with lymphatic fluid, which is actively involved in the removal of toxins and other harmful components from the body. AT normal condition human lymph nodes are invisible, but when the body is overcome by viruses, their size increases.

If the lymph nodes are enlarged, this indicates the activity of pathological processes in the human body, and that its leukocytes are actively fighting microbes. Therefore, in fact, there is an increase in lymph nodes - they seem to create a barrier for viruses, preventing their spread throughout the body.

If training during a cold is tested with symptoms such as a stuffy nose, cough, headache, then the infection can spread throughout the body. The fact is that when performing exercises, the lymph nodes will not create a protective barrier, and this is an excellent condition for the spread of the virus to all organs and systems.

And this is an important argument why you can not play sports during illness. It is better to finish the treatment (usually it takes one week), and then start exercising with a healthy body, rather than torturing yourself and conducting ineffective workouts, which can also provoke complications.

Sports activities during illness at a temperature

A cold is quite often accompanied by a high temperature, and its indicator is determined by the complexity of the disease. The most common temperature is 38.5-39 degrees. A person in this case, even with a great desire, will not be able to play sports, because at such a temperature the body is weakened and exhausted. There is also a strong chill, and such a high temperature requires churning.

As for the temperature of 37 degrees, it is more dangerous than 38 and 39, because you can't beat it. Training with this indicator is also not allowed.

A temperature of 37 degrees can occur with diseases such as hepatitis, asthma, tuberculosis, various disorders hormonal background. These are quite serious conditions, so it is important to determine the cause of such a phenomenon, and it is definitely better to wait a little with sports.

It is also worth saying a little about whether it is possible for patients with tuberculosis to play sports. In some cases, loads are not only not prohibited, but also recommended. However, it is important to understand that the main criterion in this case will be well-being.

During periods of exacerbation of the disease, it is better to limit yourself to a sparing, treated gymnast, while active training can be started only after stabilization of the condition, and preferably after complete recovery. It is recommended to choose calm activities such as walking, jogging and so on.

Remember that until full recovery, patients with tuberculosis should never lift weights and resort to other similar loads, as well as work on building muscle mass. The main task of the loads in this case is the maximum maintenance of the efficiency of all organs and systems and the strengthening of the body to fight the disease.

How to recover faster

If you have a mild ailment with a cold, but you do not want to cancel the lesson, then it is important to follow some recommendations. Firstly, load should be halved. The training time should be reduced to forty minutes. Also, during training, be sure to drink enough liquid. But the water should not be cold, so as not to provoke additional complications.

If you want to get well soon, it is better to choose exercises such as slow running, step aerobics, meditation, stretching exercises.

Exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and other exercises that require heavy loading and heavy lifting. If during the activity you feel a deterioration in the condition, stop exercising and consult a doctor.

If you have already recovered (usually it takes about a week for a common cold), you can start exercising and starting training.

However, preliminary consider these points:

  • Experts do not advise doing heavy exercises immediately after recovery - avoid big weights and long distances with cardio loads.
  • Start with light exercises, because the body after the illness is not yet fully strengthened - for this it takes 7-10 days.
  • To speed up the strengthening of the body, do not load it too much, and also improve immunity and drink vitamins. If overdone, it can adversely affect your health.
  • After 1-2 weeks after recovery, you can return to the previous loads. But do it gradually so as not to disrupt the recovery process.

Sports for prevention

If a person regularly goes in for sports, then he is usually not prone to frequent colds - if they occur, they proceed in a mild form. This is due to the fact that sport helps to strengthen the immune system, as well as the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system.

For the prevention of colds, regular jogging for 30 minutes is an excellent solution. A person who runs regularly, even if he gets sick, will recover fairly quickly and without complications.

Also for the prevention of frequent colds in addition to regular exercise it is also recommended to harden, eat right, give up bad habits.

Sports can cause the development of a cold in very rare cases, for example, if a person does not give himself rest, and the body wears out, or, for example, if the body is supercooled. Also avoid too cold liquid during the session.

Thus, everyone decides whether to play sports or not. But in any case, remember that if you catch a cold, you need to let the body recover. The answer to the question of whether it is possible to play sports when you have a cold can be determined individually. But in order not to harm yourself, it is better to wait a little with serious loads, and after a full recovery, return to the usual training regimen.

Video: is it possible to train with a cold




What else to read