Bugged by the cold or flu but yearning to power lift? Slightly nauseated but can’t quell that hankering to Clean and Jerk? Cold and Flu season have arrived, leaving many of us to tease out these and other questions about our fitness regimens.

Understanding when to exercise and when to rest is vital for recovery from a cold or flu. Whether you have the cold or the flu, it is always best to listen to your body about its need for rest. Unfortunately, many people ignore Stop Signals from the body, embracing the misconception that exercising throughout the duration of a virus like the cold or flu will somehow reap benefits. In the case of an extremely mild cold, this may or may not be true. Nevertheless, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), exercising during the flu can lead to worsening of symptoms and the development of secondary infections such as bronchitis, sinus, and inner ear infections.

One straightforward method for determining safer times to work out while sick is offered by Dr. William Roberts of MinnHealth Minnesota, spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine: “I advise my patients to use the neck check. If your symptoms are above the neck and you do not have a fever, then as long as it does not make you feel worse, it is OK to work out. If your symptoms are below the neck, or if you have a fever or muscle aches, then you should not work out until you feel well”. Additionally, Dr. Roberts advises patients to stay well hydrated. Snubbing cigarettes and alcohol also speeds along your recovery.

A simple screening tool, the neck check draws the line between the head and chest, and with good reason. According to the CDC and the National Institute of Health (NIH), commonalities between cold and flu include fever and symptoms above the neck, such as sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, and headache. Whereas the common cold sticks to the head, influential influenza has a ticket to ride below the neck.

Journeying along the entire respiratory tract, systemic influenza affects both the head and lungs, offending its host with symptoms throughout the body such as muscle aches and fatigue. The CDC reports that every year, 10-20% of Americans will experience the flu. Of those Americans afflicted with flu, 20,000 individuals will die from this ubiquitous disease.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) agrees with Dr. Robert’s recommendation to delay exercise if you’ve got the flu, adding that: “exercise during a flu or upper respiratory infection may lead to complications including worsening of the infections, increase in body temperature and cardiac (heart) rhythm disturbances. Rest as long as malaise, congestion or fever persist.” Furthermore, ACE exhorts that it may be necessary to consult with a physician to determine what ails you.

For scores of hard working, uninsured people, this recommendation may be easier said than done. According to the United States Department of Commerce News and the US Census bureau, in 2001, 14.6 percent of Americans did not have health insurance. Young adults ages 18-24 shoulder the brunt of this travesty*. In 2001, 72% of this population had no insurance coverage whatsoever. Given the reality that an uninsured status may lead to self-medicating, take note: Those younger than twenty-one who suspect a cold or flu should never take aspirin. For youths, ingestion of aspirin or other salicylates such as Pepto-Bismol during the cold or flu is linked to a potentially fatal illness called Reye Syndrome. Whaley and Wong earmark Reye Syndrome for its penchant to provoke liver failure and brain swelling.

Like the more than 200 cold viruses, influenza virus passes from one person to the next when a sick person “coughs, sneezes or speaks, sending the virus into the air to be inhaled by others” (NIH Fact Sheet). Cold and influenza virus may also be transmitted by touching your nose or mouth after someone with the virus on their hands squeezes a barbell or other object.

The airborne method of cold/ flu transmission is best illustrated by adding food coloring to somebody’s breath. Envision yourself at the gym. Beside you, ready to deadlift, well-ripped Mr. Rhinoyvey suffers a cold. Amused by various thoughts, Mr. Rhinoyvey bursts out laughing, expectorating food coloring. Enshrined in a waft of infectious rainbow, you inhale the vibrant virus. Day after next, a headache from Hades Hareacre awakens you. At 102 degrees, the coughing and sneezing begins. Two boxes of facial tissue later and two calendar weeks older, you recover from the cold uneventfully.

Resting while you have the cold or flu serves you and your community well. If you do decide to exercise with a cold, prudence prods you to stay home and keep it light.

* HEALTH CARE FOR THE UNINSURED: Hampshire Health Connect: 413-582-2848

© 2004 Jessica Faller Berger. All rights reserved. Any use of these files electronically or otherwise is strictly prohibited.