Monday, November 7, 2011

Takin' care of bidness

Well, I'm sick with a delightful head cold, which in this house means busting out the proper attire:



This will make the FIFTH one this year!  Yeah, how that happens when I eat more fruits and veggies than I can manage some days as well as a multi-vitamin is beyond me.  Actually I know how it happened, the damned cable guys.  I remember the exact moment they both shook my hand and I thought "I need to go wash my hands NOW" and we got to griping and I didn't until maybe an hour later.  It's only contact I had in the incubation period so just another reason for me to loathe them since they were also the reason I didn't get my regular workout in that night.

Speaking of workouts, I do not use being sick as an excuse to skip a workout.  I have worked out through colds for 3 years and quite honestly, it's the only time I feel better.  Laying around whining, holding my head, listening to my heartbeat in my temples, feeling as though someone has jammed a bike pump in my sinuses and  is trying to see if they can shoot my eyes out of the sockets from the inside out is not my idea of fun.  Standing up and sweating is the only time I can breathe and focus on something other than how miserable I feel.  I just pop an ibuprofen an hour prior to workout time so any sinus swelling goes down and I'm more comfortable.  I  also don't believe in taking cold medicine because after a good talk with the doc, she said it extends your colds by 2-4 days.  The whole reason you have symptoms is because its your body's way of trying to fight things off.  By suppressing the symptoms, you just end up suffering longer, at least that's been my experience and my colds last long enough as it is.  (Also, why do people tell you to go to the doctor when you have a cold?  Hello, nothing they can do about it!  I'm not down paying a co-pay for her to tell me to pop pain reliever, wait it out and come back to give her more money if the mucus turns some technicolor green)  Sorry...side rant.

While doing workouts while sick makes me wince a little in the motivation department, I do like the feeling of envisioning my creepin' crud escaping in my sweat during a hard workout.  I know that isn't possible, don't feel the need to chastise me in the comments section and I'm also smart enough to know that working out with chest congestion or a chest cold is a big no no so no need to mention that either.  Obviously it's a personal choice for everyone but I do see far too many people who while they deem themselves "too sick" to workout and need to rest then talk about all of the other stuff they did that day instead of resting up.  Mmm hmm.  So I've got a pretty decent schedule on tap for this week so hopefully yesterday and today are the worst of the congestion pain and I'll adjust workout intensity as needed.

Do you workout when you have a cold?

====================
Like this post? Never miss another one...subscribe by email or RSS feed at the upper left of the page!

8 comments:

  1. You shouldn't work out with a chest cold.

    There, I said it. I like to live on the edge of danger. :) :) Serious now: Whether or not I work out really depends on the severity of the cold and the weather outside. I won't go to the gym with my germy self, so it's outside or nothing for me. Fortunately, I only have to deal with that once every year or two. *knock wood!*
    I'm sorry you're ill, but at least you have the appropriate attire for it. (I have the pants, but not the shoes.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's such a drag to be sick. I find that if I work out, I feel better. When I feel better I work out more. I can't do the same type of exercise when my breathing is constricted but I figure that I'm strengthening my body nonetheless and maybe shortening the length of my cold?

    I'm with you on the cold medication. It never made any sense to me to suppress the symptoms; aren't they still in my body?

    Feel better soon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Depends on the severity of the cold for me as well. If it's strictly a head cold I do try to get in some exercise, once it goes to my chest I take it easy. For me going to the Dr. is almost a forgone conclusion since almost every cold I get turns into a sinus infection which takes weeks to clear up without an antibiotic. I'm just not that patient.
    I too find that my workout is the one time I feel a little better, but it's a fight for me. If I'm sick and miserable, hubby seems to think that I shouldn't exercise. Why not? If I still have to do the laundry, house work, errands and mommy duty - why not workout too?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I work out when I'm sick, but never with a fever. That's really dangerous. But other than that I just take it slow and steady. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I always work out with a cold. In a weird way, it does make me feel better. I don't know how or why, but it does. The only time I sit on the sidelines is when I can't control my asthma. Even then, I'll usually go for a short walk, if my lungs don't explode.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I usually rest a day but then I workout if its just a cold. Seems to jog all the junk loose and I get past it faster. Hope you feel better quick.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Uggh, sorry lady. That is a bummer. Too bad I couldn't send you some soup! Feel better

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate your time! (Heads up though...disrespectful or spam comments will be deleted.)