Personally, whenever there is any sign that I may be getting sick or am sick, I don’t workout, and become a big lazy sloth.  My better half does just the opposite and goes to the gym to work through it, and it has been an on-going debate between us. So, what the real answer? Should you go to the gym when you have a cold? Sweat it out as ‘they’ say?

There’s a reason you won’t find a clause entitled “in sickness and in health” in your gym membership contract. If you’re feeling under the weather, sometimes working out will do more harm than good. But when is it acceptable to cheat on your fitness routine with a bowl of chicken noodle soup in your pajamas? We turned to Dr. Ted Epperly, M.D., Program Director and CEO of the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, for the answer. Here’s how to gauge if you should hit the weights or hit the sack.

Are your symptoms above your neck?

Think: Sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat

The culprit that left you all boogery? Most likely the common cold. In this case, go ahead and lace up your sneakers, says Dr. Epperly. It could actually help you recover faster. An Appalachian State study found that people who performed moderate-intensity exercises—like walking—while they had a cold slashed their sick times by as much as half compared to those that didn’t exercise. Continue reading →