3 Workouts You Can Do When You Have a Cold

3 Workouts You Can Do When You Have a Cold

If you follow the instructions given by your trainer carefully, you should not be very susceptible to common cold. But if at all you do end up with an infection and have a running nose, a congested chest and bouts of cough and sneezes, you should be careful about your workout routine. It is absolutely safe to exercise when you have caught a cold, but you must reduce the intensity significantly, because your body is now under more stress. Listed below are the three types of exercises which you could perform when you catch a cold:

1. Running / jogging

Running and jogging are very good exercises for your heart. But when you catch a cold, you may be taking certain medications like decongestants which could increase the rate of your heartbeat. So when you run or jog on top of that, your heartbeat could reach a very high rate which could be harmful. So what you must do is reduce the intensity and duration of your exercise. By doing that, you will reap the benefits of the exercise, as well as not harm your body more in the process.

2. Cardiovascular exercises

The same holds true for all other types of cardiovascular exercises as well. Whatever you do, you must be aware of your body system. If you feel any sort of discomfort, you should stop immediately and seek medical attention. You should reduce the intensity and duration of your exercise and then you will be able to perform all exercises without any hitch. Too much of cardiovascular exercise during a cold could aggravate your condition with more coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

3. Weight training

When you catch a cold, the muscles of your body are stressed, and so you feel some soreness in them. So limit your weight training exercises to the basic or minimum so that you do not wear out your muscles. Intense weight training could harm your muscles and increase the soreness which could be very painful. So you must not overexert yourself when it comes to exercising during a cold.

Before going about with your workout schedule, you should consult your physician and know for sure whether it is safe for you. All in all, in pursuit of better health, you should take care not to damage your body or aggravate the problems further.

    
Photo Courtesy : Ed Yourdon
TAGS: cardiovascular, cold, common cold, More