Sick, Bro!

It is cold and flu season, so it's time to review the guidelines to when to exercise when you are sick. First things first: it is perfectly okay to NOT exercise when you're sick. Sometimes the safest course of action is to "sit your ass down," as RuPaul would say, and drink plenty of fluids until you are on the mend. But when you have a cold that lingers for weeks and races coming up, that can be difficult. So please use good sense when deciding whether to exercise, and follow these rules.

1) Do not exercise with a fever over 100. It is a terrible idea. If you are already running hot, exercise (which increases your core temperature further) is the last thing you should be doing. Fevers don't last long, so just sit your ass down and drink ice-cold Gatorade.

2) Do not exercise with a chest cough. Chest coughs can be a sign of a lung infection such as bronchitis, which during intense exercise can travel to your heart and kill you. If that sounds like a fun way to spend your autumn, whatever. If your cough is very "shallow," you can work out, especially if it is infrequent.

3) If you have a headache or sinus pain, you can work out, but you might not want to. These can be exacerbated by dehydration, and sweating is usually a bad plan. If you work out with these symptoms, take it easy.

4) If you have a runny or stuffy nose, you can work out. A runny nose might get nasty, though, and a stuffy nose might make it difficult to breathe. Something to consider: if you exercise outdoors with a stuffy nose, take a route that doesn't have too many bugs, because you will need to mouth-breathe.

5) If you have a sore throat, you are probably good to go, unless you suspect you have strep throat. Sore throat + fever = sit your ass down, perhaps in an urgent care waiting room.

6) Vomiting or diarrhea...please, don't. Even without the obvious practical concerns, you run a high risk of dehydration anyway, so drink your Gatorade and stay away from the public.

7) Sneezing is okay. If you have severe allergies, though, you might want to take your workouts indoors until your allergen is less prevalent.

Follow these tips and you might make it through cold and flu season in decent physical shape! And remember, if you feel too run down to work out, it is okay to take a week off. You won't get deconditioned at all unless you take off a few weeks. Take care of yourself first - the training plan is less important.