Should you still exercise with a cold?

I have a cold coming on, I can feel it. I keep sneezing, my head hurts and my throat is sore. I automatically decided not to work out today because of this. I generally felt rough and out of sorts. I was intrigued to see what the general advice is for this situation seeing as we are now heading into winter and cold and  flu season. I was a little surprised at what I discovered in my research.  

If your symptoms are all above the neck such as sore throat, blocked nose then the online advice is that you can work out as normal although you should stop if the workout makes you feel worse. Also you should be aware that some cold medicines make your heart beat faster. This, when combined with exercise, could result in the heart beating extremely fast and could cause difficulty breathing.

If you have a fever at all or aching joints then the general advice is to not exercise and concentrate on getting better.

Personally I take the view that you should listen to your body. If you are constantly sneezing and coughing then you are going to find it hard to workout to your full potential. In my opinion, a couple of days rest will not hurt and may mean that you can shake the cold off more quickly.

If you are really desperate to exercise then maybe think about adapting your workout. If you were going to run then try a brisk walk instead.

For me personally I won't work out until I have shook the cold off. I'm prone to chest infections so I need to be careful. I will just stick to my healthy eating and drink plenty of fluids.

Hope you are all well at the moment. Speak to you soon

Love Erica xxx