5 Lame Excuses That Shouldn’t Keep You From Exercising You’re sick: Having a cold isn’t always a reason to skip a workout, but sometimes being sick means you should skip exercise. To figure out if you should sweat it out, use the above-the-neck rule: if your symptoms are confined to normal above-the-neck symptoms of the common cold, like sneezing, coughing, and sniffling, you can still exercise (and may feel better because of it). But if you’ve got any congestion, aches, pains, upset stomach, hacking cough, or fever, you should definitely skip the sweat session. Read here for more tips on determining when to stop exercising due to illness. You need a rest day: Committing to an exercise routine isn’t all about nonstop exercise. Your body needs rest days to repair muscles and prevent overuse injuries. If you’re feeling very tired, sore, or tight, take a break from your routine and rehab your overworked body. How to Take Care of Your Body on Rest Day You’re injured: Depending on how hurt you are, it may be time to lay off the workout. Of course, as long as you aren’t making your injury worse there are still ways to exercise, but sometimes your body is telling you that you need to stop. Moving. Now. If something ever feels unsafe, or your injury is serious or worsens when you exercise, you may need to stop exercising altogether to properly heal the compromised area. A visit to a physical therapist might be in order to determine how best to heal your injury. Why Indulging and Skipping Exercise May Improve Your Health You need a break: Healthy living takes commitment, but that doesn’t mean there’s no time to just chill out and relax. Sometimes, vegging on the couch is the healthier option–spending time laughing with friends, catching up on TV shows, and sharing a meal with a loved one are important to your happiness. Could Exercising While Sick Hurt Your Health?
