Exercise while suffering from a phlegmy cough largely depends on its symptoms. A dry cough or flu-like symptoms should usually be fine, while productive coughs with body aches, chills and fever could signal that it’s time to take a break and replenish hydration levels.
Listen to Your Body
As with any exercise regimen, listening to your body is crucial when trying to stay on an exercise regimen with a phlegmy cough. Some individuals may find they can push through workouts without experiencing adverse side effects; however, pushing yourself too hard could worsen symptoms and complicate matters further.
Cold symptoms often include sore throats, runny noses and congestion – while these symptoms don’t warrant concern in themselves, they may make breathing harder during and after exercise sessions. Therefore, low-impact exercises that don’t put too much strain on your respiratory system, like swimming, walking or elliptical machines may offer all of the health benefits without taxing your immune system too much.
Fevers sap energy and can diminish strength and endurance, making it hard to complete an intense exercise regimen. Furthermore, having a fever increases your risk of infection and even have serious long-term repercussions.
As Noah Gentner, PhD, assistant professor of exercise and sport sciences at Ithaca College notes, any symptoms below the neck such as chest pain or tightness, hacking cough that produces mucus or productive cough should also prompt rest for your immune system to fight off infections more efficiently and relieve tension on your body. Gentner sees these as telltale signs that require rest to recover properly.
If your phlegm is green or yellow, this could be an indicator that you have an infection which requires medical intervention. These conditions typically cause more intense coughs with yellow or green phlegm and require medical evaluation and treatment; if this sounds familiar to you, stop exercising immediately and see your physician immediately for evaluation and treatment; in the meantime try over-the-counter expectorants such as Guaifenesin to thin it down and move it out of your body more quickly, helping relieve discomfort while continuing regular exercise routines without interruption.
Adjust Your Routine
Though phlegmy cough may not seem like much of an obstacle to regular exercise routines, it can present quite the challenge for those trying to maintain them. Luckily, however, there are ways around it by adapting workouts so as not to further strain your body.
Decisions on when and how much exercise to perform when suffering from a phlegmy cough will depend heavily on its severity, including its type, frequency, severity and any associated conditions. A dry cough that only appears occasionally should usually be left alone; however, a frequent or productive cough might indicate more serious illness, so it would be prudent to refrain from exercise until its symptoms have subsided.
If you decide to exercise while sick, it is advised that you use low-impact machines like an elliptical or stationary bike rather than placing undue stress on your joints and body. Yoga or walking could also provide beneficial exercises. Doing this will allow you to still reap all the advantages associated with physical activity – including weight maintenance, disease prevention, stress control and mood enhancement.
Staying hydrated during workouts requires drinking plenty of water, to thin the phlegm in your throat and chest and make coughing easier. Plus, moistening the air you breathe helps break up mucus more effectively for easier elimination by your body.
Studies show that it is generally safe for athletes with sufficient training to take a rest period when sick; though initially there may be some reduction in VO2 max; this typically does not result in performance impairment in most cases.
Before beginning exercise while sick, it is recommended that you first consult a healthcare provider, especially if you suffer from asthma or another respiratory illness. Your physician can create an individualized fitness plan designed specifically for your situation – creating one safe enough to do while managing a persistent cough is possible!
Avoid High-Intensity Workouts
Phlegmy coughs can be an indicator that your body is fighting off an infection. Therefore, it is wise to refrain from engaging in high intensity workouts at this time as these can exasperate symptoms further and leave you feeling fatigued and lethargic. Instead, light exercises like walking or yoga may help loosen phlegm for easier breathing.
As well, it is also crucial to exercise in cold or dry weather as doing so may irritate the throat and worsen cough symptoms, while dry exercise can dehydrate your body; drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated is recommended to remain at peak performance.
Attempt to limit exercise to outdoor public spaces such as gyms during the day to limit contagions that could spread your illness – this is particularly important if experiencing fever, diarrhea, weakness or cough.
Many individuals are uncertain whether it is safe to exercise with a phlegmy cough. Many experts follow what’s known as the “above-the-neck” rule, which suggests if symptoms such as congestion and runny nose appear above your neck it should usually be safe for exercise – though please note this rule shouldn’t be taken literally and should always be used with discretion.
If your cough becomes more intense during exercise, this should be taken as an indicator to take a break and/or limit speed and duration for running so as to not exacerbate it further. To do this effectively.
If you have a persistent cough that interferes with your workouts, it’s essential that you listen to what your body needs and adjust activity levels accordingly. A persistent phlegmy cough could be a telltale sign that you’re trying to push too hard during physical activity; doing this could further compromise your health and slow recovery time. For this reason, seeking advice from healthcare providers before engaging in physical activity while sick can ensure proper evaluation and guidance tailored specifically to your condition.
Stay Hydrated
Exercise causes your body to sweat out moisture and electrolytes that it needs, necessitating regular intake of fluids – particularly during hot conditions – in order to replenish this loss through sweat. Staying hydrated when sick is even more essential: dehydration can worsen your coughing fit while making breathing difficult, slowing recovery from illness.
Coughing up phlegm, also known as sputum, is a normal part of your immune response to any irritants that enter the airways and trigger the cough reflex. Most often it will pass within several days without lasting impact – however if a cough remains persistent for multiple weeks or more you could have a chronic respiratory disease such as bronchitis or pneumonia that needs treating first.
Coughing can be caused by inhaling fumes or smoke, allergies to certain foods, medications or pollen; or asthma symptoms that include wheezing. People who wheeze typically develop coughing fits during an attack; for those without asthma it’s often just part of life.
As soon as a cough arises, and depending on its source and amount of phlegm production, exercising becomes unsafe. With dry coughs it’s usually safe to continue as normal; but for those suffering from phlegmy coughs it may be prudent to limit their intensity in favor of less strenuous activities that do not strain lungs.
If you are visiting a public gym, be extra diligent when washing your hands and not touching anything that has been touched by other users. Germs can easily spread through airborne contact; someone working out with an active phlegmy cough could easily spread germs throughout the gym.
If in doubt, it is best to refrain from high-intensity exercise when experiencing respiratory symptoms, like congestion. Instead, follow safe exercise practices and listen to your body as overworking yourself may aggravate existing complications or delay recovery time. That being said, exercise while sick can still provide numerous health benefits; just make sure not to overdo it until the cough has cleared away completely.
