Best Exercises to do with a Cold

Want to work out before or during the holiday season but have a slight cold? If you are feeling under the weather but still feel up to exercising, by all means go for it. Just know that your body is already under a lot of stress. You want to avoid adding too much extra stress, so you don’t make things worse. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the best exercises you can do with a cold and some you may want to avoid.

The best exercise you can do with a cold is to go for a walk or a jog. Walking is a very low intensity exercise that you can do anywhere, and it may even help improve your cold symptoms as well. Going for a walk will stimulate you to take deep breaths and really open your passageways. Which is especially helpful if you are all clogged up. Other low intensity exercises you might consider would be Qi gong and yoga. Qi gong is a slow and mindful movement that doesn’t really cause you to break out in a serious sweat. When done right, it can be a great stress reliever and can improve your blood flow and increase your energy. Yoga is also a great exercise technique to take because it can help relieve aches and pains with gentle stretching. It is also found that humming is a good way to open clogged sinus passages. So, roll out your CanDo® Yoga Mat and don’t forget to say om.

The exercises you should avoid when you have a cold are the high intensity workouts. That means exercises, such as lifting weights, should be avoided for the duration of your cold. This is because your strength and performance are likely diminished while you are battling a cold. This can put you at risk of injury if you try to lift weights. You should also avoid going to the gym and using the machines if possible. When you go to the gym, you are all sharing the equipment and are most likely in close contact with others. These factors could increase the chance of you spreading your cold onto others. Which is something you really want to try to avoid. If you do end up using the machines, be sure to spray it down before and after you use each piece of equipment. You should also make sure to cover your mouth to be respectful of others.

If you are feeling under the weather but still want to work out, it is best to find low intensity workouts to do. Low intensity workouts put less stress on your body so you can recover quicker. They can also relieve some symptoms you may have. Before you do anything, be sure to talk to your doctor.

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Article written by William Graves.