Too sick to work out? Maybe not
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Feeling under the weather? It’s tempting to snuggle on the couch, but movement might be good for you.
“What people really need to do is listen to their own body,” said Kristen Siminski, PT, CCCE, a physical therapist at Cape Cod Hospital.
Siminski, who exercises regularly, will take a day or two off when she has a fever or is heavily congested.
“If it’s more of a runny nose or a light headache, I will get out there, but dial it down a little based on how I feel,” she said. “Maybe it’s getting outside and going for a walk when you normally run. If you're normally a walker, walk slower or for a shorter distance.”
A guideline that many practitioners follow is that if symptoms are above the neck, it's OK to get out there and do some exercise.
“Doing something outside is always good for your spirits,” said Siminski. “When people don’t feel well, they’re sort of consumed in their own thoughts. Going outside can add a little perspective to it.”
If you think your illness might be contagious, be considerate of others and take a few days off from working out at a gym, she said. “If it's too cold outside, then try dancing in your living room. Any way you move your body is a good thing, as long as you physically feel up to it.”
Other things that shouldn’t keep people from exercising include aches and pains or a case of the blues.
“Make that extra effort to do something that makes you feel happy, whether it’s going for a bike ride or doing some gentle yoga,” she said. “Going for a walk at the beach and looking at the ocean will help you put things in perspective."
“Activity is always a good thing, and it doesn't have to be an intimidating or big, huge thing. Just do something.”
Siminski is based at Cape Cod Hospital, so on a daily basis she encourages patients to increase the amount they move.
“Some look forward to getting up and moving, but others do not and benefit from encouragement,” she said. “In most cases, people are happy once they have started the process. They like seeing other people if they walk in the hallway and have a sense of accomplishment and can think about goals during their days in the hospital, where conversations may be focused on their limitations.”
“When we are feeling under the weather, no matter the degree, movement can help us physically and mentally. And similar to how patients enjoy being out in the hallways to see other employees and patients, we (at home) may also benefit from reaching out to others in our social circles as well.”
