Spring Break
Your sick schtick OK at the gym
Emily Abbate
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: Focus
The gym commonly experiences its highest volume between 4 and 5 p.m. Many students get out of class and the first place they go, besides the dining hall, is often the gym to relieve some stress.
But with the influx of illnesses around campus, the cold becomes as common as tray-free dining. For sick students, working out isn't always a number-one priority. So what is actually the 411 on exercising while under the weather?
"The rule I like to use is called the 'neck check.' If your symptoms are all above the neck, like a runny nose or a sore throat, then you're okay to exercise," advises Chris Freytag, the author of "Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss" on prevention.com. "Of course you should always listen to your body and take the intensity of your workout down a bit if your regular pace feels too strenuous."
Make sure to be considerate of your fellow gym-goers if you choose to exercise while sick. This means taking extra care to wipe down machinery and cover your mouth while on the treadmill.
"I think that the gym is where many people get sick," said Gabrielle Greenlee, a 6th-semester communication disorders major. "All of the machines are being shared by way too many people and they aren't usually properly cleaned in between users."
Although you may no longer be contagious, other people at the gym have no clue what stage your sickness is in.
"I don't work out when I'm not feeling well," said Michael Montalvo, a 6th-semester political science major. " Cause I should be using that energy to get better; the gym is the last place I want to be."
A study conducted by Thomas G. Weidner at Ball State University in Munice, Indiana, determined that exercising at a moderate intensity level does not necessarily intensify cold symptoms or compromise the immune system. After asking 50 "moderately fit student volunteers" to keep a daily log of physical activity for 10 days while injected with cold germs, results showed there was no significant difference in symptom severity, according to bodybuilding.com.
"Personally I know that whenever I'm feeling under the weather I don't necessarily have the energy or motivation to exercise," said Chelsea Hagen, a 6th-semester communications major. "I do feel that exercising is definitely beneficial to your health because cardiovascular exercise strengthens your immune system, which I learned in spin class."
This proves that if you are extremely determined to stick to your work out regimen, despite feeling a little low, then there's no harm in trying. Keep up the good work, and remember the next time you go to work out, bring a travel pack of tissues along with your water bottle and iPod.
But with the influx of illnesses around campus, the cold becomes as common as tray-free dining. For sick students, working out isn't always a number-one priority. So what is actually the 411 on exercising while under the weather?
"The rule I like to use is called the 'neck check.' If your symptoms are all above the neck, like a runny nose or a sore throat, then you're okay to exercise," advises Chris Freytag, the author of "Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss" on prevention.com. "Of course you should always listen to your body and take the intensity of your workout down a bit if your regular pace feels too strenuous."
Make sure to be considerate of your fellow gym-goers if you choose to exercise while sick. This means taking extra care to wipe down machinery and cover your mouth while on the treadmill.
"I think that the gym is where many people get sick," said Gabrielle Greenlee, a 6th-semester communication disorders major. "All of the machines are being shared by way too many people and they aren't usually properly cleaned in between users."
Although you may no longer be contagious, other people at the gym have no clue what stage your sickness is in.
"I don't work out when I'm not feeling well," said Michael Montalvo, a 6th-semester political science major. " Cause I should be using that energy to get better; the gym is the last place I want to be."
A study conducted by Thomas G. Weidner at Ball State University in Munice, Indiana, determined that exercising at a moderate intensity level does not necessarily intensify cold symptoms or compromise the immune system. After asking 50 "moderately fit student volunteers" to keep a daily log of physical activity for 10 days while injected with cold germs, results showed there was no significant difference in symptom severity, according to bodybuilding.com.
"Personally I know that whenever I'm feeling under the weather I don't necessarily have the energy or motivation to exercise," said Chelsea Hagen, a 6th-semester communications major. "I do feel that exercising is definitely beneficial to your health because cardiovascular exercise strengthens your immune system, which I learned in spin class."
This proves that if you are extremely determined to stick to your work out regimen, despite feeling a little low, then there's no harm in trying. Keep up the good work, and remember the next time you go to work out, bring a travel pack of tissues along with your water bottle and iPod.
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