It’s one thing to work out when you’re feeling great and you’re just raring to go. That’s especially true when you go to a gym like Anytime Fitness that’s open 24 hours a day.
But what if you’re not really feeling at your best? Should you work out anyway, or just skip it? The answer depends on what you’re exactly going through.
You Have a Cold
If you have a stuffed or drippy nose, you can still work out—if you’re feeling up to it. As long as you don’t have a fever to go with your cold, you’re okay. But if you just don’t feel like working out, it’s okay too.
When you do work out, you have to take it a bit easier. Keep the intensity down to moderate or even light. Lay off the HIIT and stick to exercises like brisk walking or going with the elliptical.
Hydration is also crucial. When you have a cold, you’re already dehydrated so you will need to drink more water along the way.
Workout: Slug it out, if you like.
You Have a Fever
This is if you have a temperature of at least 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, or you have a high temperature accompanied by a lot of coughing. In which case, you better just pass on working out. Even if you want to, just don’t.
The same goes if you have the flu or any other sort of viral infection. Just sit it out and rest.
You’re not doing yourself any favors if you work out when you have a fever. Working out can have a bad effect on your immune system, which is already busy combating the viral infection. In fact, you’re endangering the other people in the gym as you’re risking on passing off whatever you have.
Workout: Skip it.
You’ve Been Vaccinated for Covid
That depends on how your body reacts to the vaccine. If you’re lucky enough not to get any side effects, then it’s okay to work out.
But if you experience any side effects, it’s a different story. There’s a wide range of possible side effects. It can be just pain and swelling in the injection area. But other possible reactions include muscle pain, nausea, chills, and fever.
You should just wait until you get better before you work out. The good news is that these side effects don’t last long, and they usually disappear after a few days or so. In the meantime, you can take over-the-counter medications to alleviate any discomfort. You can go with aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or antihistamines.
Workout: Slug it out if you don’t have side effects, but skip it when you’re experiencing side effects.
You’ve Just Recovered from Covid
Obviously, you shouldn’t workout when you’re currently experiencing Covid symptoms. But even when these symptoms disappear, you should still be careful. Keep in mind that even the scientists don’t know too much about the virus.
Your best bet is to consult a doctor once you think you’ve recovered from the virus. Your doctor can give you proper advice, especially when you have special problems like preexisting respiratory or heart conditions. But if you’re feeling okay, you may get the go signal for your workout after about 7 to 10 days after you start feeling better.
Workout: Skip it, until the doc says otherwise.
You Didn’t Get a Good Night’s Sleep
If you spent last night tossing and turning, you may as well consider that your exercise and get back to sleep. Or you can wake at your regular time, but go to sleep early that evening.
Health experts agree that getting a good night’s sleep is actually more important than getting a good workout for the day.
And working out while sleep-deprived is just like being on drunk or on drugs. You won’t be able to focus on what you’re doing, and you may not think clearly. It’s just too dangerous, and you won’t get a good workout anyway.
Workout: Skip it and sleep it off.
You Have a Hangover
In general, you should just take a pass and use the time to recover. Working out when you’re suffering from a hangover will just make you feel worse. That’s especially true when you’re experiencing a headache or nausea. Hangovers are often due to dehydration, and working out will make that dehydration even worse.
It’s entirely possible that you may start feeling better later in the day. In that case, you can work out if you want to. Just keep it light, with maybe yoga or some walking. And you better have that water bottle with you all the time, since dehydration is still a problem.
Workout: Skip it, for the most part.
You’re Stressed
This is one time when you’re not feeling at your best and you should definitely work out. All that effort will get your mind off your worries, and your body will release endorphins that actually lowers your stress level. Go with some repetitive exercise, and try listening to some soothing music.