Posted on November 20, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

So this is the time of year when everyone is sniffling and sometimes we have to make the decision…..can I train or not? Before I go any further I want to be clear, especially to my personal training clients who might think I have gone soft…..this blog is NOT giving you an excuse not to exercise ;o) Ha! Honestly, when you have a cold you need to be honest with yourself and make sure you aren’t using it as an excuse not to train and hopefully this blog will answer the question…..can I train with a cold?

The easiest way to answer this question is to use the ‘Neck Up or Neck Down’ rule. If your symptoms are neck down (deep cough, aching muscles, fever, chest pain) then you should avoid working out until your symptoms have improved. However if your symptoms are neck up (sniffles, runny nose, cough) then you should be ok to exercise, BUT bear the following in mind:

Listen to your body…..you might not be able to push yourself as much as normal. This is fine. You don’t want to overdo it and delay you recovery, but likewise doing some exercise will be great for your immune system and also keeping you sane and on track to achieving your goals!

If your symptoms are ‘neck up’ and you feel worse after exercise then it’s probably better to rest for 2-3 days and then pick up your training routine from there. Bear in mind, you might feel better initially due to the endorphins kicking in but if you deteriorate throughout the day then you should rest.

Avoid exercise if your symptoms are ‘neck down’ as it is likely that you have inflammation of the lungs and exercise will only make this worse.

So, in answer to the question ‘can I exercise with a cold?’ The answer is YES provided you listen to your body and do not have any symptoms ‘below the neck

‘.