Is it possible to play sports sick. Can I exercise when I'm sick? Muscle pain and how to get rid of it

Just a sore throat, do you immediately take sick leave and refuse to train? Or vice versa - do you go to the gym even with a temperature? Which approach is the most correct and safest for health - we understand together with the doctors.

In the season of colds, athletes always face the same question: is it worth going to train if you feel that you have begun to get sick - are complications possible? Several studies have been done on this. One of them is at Ball State University (Indiana, USA). 50 student volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: one is involved in sports, the second is not. All participants were artificially infected with a cold - doctors monitored their condition throughout the experiment. The “sports” group worked out every day for 40 minutes - b e gom, cycling or steppe - by 70% of their maximum capabilities (doctors monitored their pulse). At the end of the study and after analyzing all the data, it turned out that there was no significant difference in the severity and duration of symptoms accompanying the disease between the two groups. That is, the experiment showed that moderate exercise does not increase the symptoms of a cold and does not undermine the immune system. But at the same time, high-intensity activities that include weight lifting or aerobic exercise have a negative impact on the immune system during a cold or any other respiratory infection. Therefore, here it is necessary to feel the edge and be aware that one extra strength exercise can add several painful days to your sick leave. Try to correctly build a workout and not burden your body if you still decide to go to the gym.

Dmitry Troshin

general practitioner at EMC

With a mild form of a cold, especially without fever, you can play sports. But we must not forget: the main route of infection is airborne, so it will be possible to infect other people in the gym. In addition, when we have SARS, we are more likely to get some kind of "secondary" infection - this can aggravate the symptoms. Therefore, doctors usually do not recommend visiting crowded places during the period of illness. If there is a cough, shortness of breath and so on, it will be just hard to play sports.

Olga Malinovskaya

Medical Director of KDL, Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics

I would not recommend exercising with any anxiety symptoms, it is especially important to spare yourself at the beginning of the disease. A runny nose does not allow breathing through the nose, and frequent deep breathing through the mouth dries the mucous membrane and additionally damages the already sore nasopharynx. In no case should you engage in active sports against the background of cough and fever. Lack of rest during illness increases the chance of developing complications. Although if you feel good after a recent cold, but nasal congestion remains without discharge, in this case, light and moderate exercise, leading to the release of adrenaline, helps to cope with nasal congestion: adrenaline is a natural remedy that affects the tone of the vessels of the nasal mucosa.

With acute symptoms of the disease, no load is useful. Sometimes it happens that a person plans to go to a workout, but experiences atypical pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back and legs. This may be the first sign of the disease associated with symptoms of intoxication. And it is quite possible that an incomprehensible malaise in the evening can easily turn into a fever and headache in the morning. If you suddenly inexorably want to lie on the couch amid malaise, it is better to feel sorry for yourself, even if life is subject to an iron will and military self-discipline.

David Nieman, head of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University (who, by the way, has run 58 marathons and ultramarathons), advises sticking to the “neck rule.” If the symptoms of a cold are located below the neck - pain in the body, severe cough - you should forget about training. If higher - runny nose, sneezing - you can play sports. But in any case, you should always listen to your body.

Dmitry Solovyov

Challenger medical expert

In general, it is now generally accepted that there is no clear, common for all period for which physical education should be interrupted after a cold. For each person, for each cold, he has his own. Intense physical activity weakens the immune system. Therefore, in the midst of an illness, when the immune system already has to work actively, it is better not to subject it to unnecessary tests. At this point, it is worth taking a break from sports and simply lie down.

When to return to training

Dmitry Troshin

general practitioner at EMC

It is worth returning to training after recovery. Weakness is a frequent companion of any colds, so it may simply be difficult for a person to engage in the same mode immediately after he is cured. I usually recommend gradually introducing the load and observing your condition, gradually increasing it. But there are always some peculiarities. For example, infectious mononucleosis - restrictions on sports range from four to eight weeks (depending on the type and traumatism of the sport) due to the risk of rupture of the spleen. Therefore, it is better to discuss the issue of returning to training with your doctor. It is one thing when a person falls ill with ARVI (only a runny nose), another with pneumonia; There will always be different times.

The answer to this question seems obvious: if you are sick, then all the forces of the body should be directed to fighting the infection. However, for many people, exercising is a deeply ingrained habit, so they need to know if it is possible to continue exercising while sick without hurting themselves.

When we are talking about any serious illness, of course, you can’t train . A similar question usually arises when a person, for example, has a cold - an unpleasant, but not so dangerous condition.

Cold Workout: The “Neck Rule”

Although not much research has been done on this topic, many scientists, according to Thomas Weidner from the University of. Ball, adhere to the time-tested postulate, which is also called the “rule of the neck”. Its essence is that usually patients can safely train if all the symptoms are “above the neck”: for example, a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat.

But in the presence of symptoms "below the neck" (say, muscle pain or chest cough), as well as in the case of high fever, it is better to be careful.

Workouts: with a cold, as without a cold

Weidner himself did a couple of unusual studies in the late 1990s, infecting volunteers with the rhinovirus (commonly referred to as the common cold), one of the few attempts to study the subject in a controlled experiment.

Weidner first infected 45 volunteers; the next evening they began to have a sore throat, and all the full symptoms of a cold appeared on the third day of the experiment. At the peak of the course of the disease, the subjects underwent a series of tests on a treadmill. Comparing their results with those of the control group, whose members were not infected with the virus, the scientist, to his surprise, found no differences. All indicators (running results, lung function and other physiological responses) were identical. In other words, if you catch a common cold, it will not affect your sporting achievements in any way .

The second time, Weidner infected 50 volunteers, divided them into 2 groups and forced the first one to do physical exercises every other day for 40 minutes at such an intensity that the pulse rate was 70% of the maximum allowable, and the second one allowed them to get sick calmly.

No differences in severity or duration of illness were found between the two groups.; True, according to subjective sensations those who were physically active felt slightly better .

“Although I have been doing my experiments for a long time, but so far no one has undertaken research that would disprove their results,” says Weidner. (This, however, is not surprising: it is not so easy to recruit a group of volunteers who want to be infected with a cold!)

There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to support Weidner's claim that light exercise during a cold improves the patient's well-being . This is explained in different ways: by cleansing the respiratory tract, improving blood circulation, or simply by the fact that a person experiences positive emotions.

To date, it has been established that moderate exercise stimulates the immune system, and one study even showed that a one-time 45-minute run on the treadmill helped mice fight off the virus. So it looks like being physically active when you're sick might actually be beneficial. Or at least playing sports during a cold certainly does not worsen the patient's condition.

How to Train When You're Sick: Infographic by Precision Nutrition

A well-known data-driven project has translated scientists' advice on training for illness into infographics. We have translated the most important illustrations for you.

Recommended activities when you feel a little unwell or have a cold: walking, light running, swimming, cycling, qigong, tai chi, yoga. Not recommended activities: heavy strength training, endurance training, HIIT, sprinting, team sports, extreme temperatures.

A short intense workout will not bring benefits, the most beneficial for the immune system is a workout of medium duration (40-50 minutes) and low or medium intensity, worsens the condition and has a bad effect on the immune system - a long workout with a high load.

How to train (and whether to train at all) on the 1-4th day of a cold:

First day of illness. With symptoms: sore throat, cough, snot - it is recommended to train at a low intensity. If there are the following symptoms: headache and joint pain, chills, diarrhea, vomiting - it is not recommended to practice.

second day of illness. If chills do not appear and “above the neck” symptoms do not worsen, light training is recommended for 30-45 minutes without weights, indoors, pulse up to 150 beats / min. If there is a temperature, a cough has intensified, there is diarrhea or vomiting, it is not recommended to train.

third day of illness. In the absence of chills and worsening of previous symptoms, it is possible to carry out a training session of medium intensity for 45-60 minutes, with a pulse of up to 150 beats / min. If negative symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, chills) still persist or worsen, stop exercising and consult a doctor.

Fourth day. The symptoms of the disease are on the wane - take a break from classes for a day, then return to them. If the symptoms on the 4th day did not decrease and new ones appeared, consult a doctor.

From the editors of Zozhnik, we consider it important to add: if you become infected with a viral infection, still do not rush to work out in crowded places of healthy people, so as not to pass on the “baton” of the disease further - it’s better to load yourself in solitude (and moderately!)


Many of us periodically make the decision to start exercising or exercising more. Some people give up and some people keep going, but really, everyone should exercise. Why do you need to play sports? Exercise has a huge number of benefits, including physical and mental health. Going in for sports will not only help you get in shape, but will also bring a number of other positive changes in a person’s life.

Everyone knows that physical activity is good for human health. This is important for both physical and mental health. Below are the reasons that positively affect a person who plays sports.

Weight control

Regular exercise will help you avoid weight gain and keep your body in good shape. When you exercise, you burn calories, and the harder you work out, the better your body looks.

To understand how sports activity helps to fight excess weight, you should control the difference between energy expenditure and activity. Energy is distributed into 3 processes: supporting the most important functions of the human body, digestion of food consumed and physical labor.

If you follow a diet that reduces calories accordingly, your metabolism slows down. This contributes to the hindrance of dumping extra pounds. A constant load makes the metabolism work actively, and this helps to reduce weight.

Energy charge

The strongest stimulator of energy is physical activity, this applies to healthy people and people with problems. For a person suffering from chronic fatigue and other ailments, sports exercises provide a greater supply of energy. In the fight against fatigue, the most productive is precisely active work.

Exercise and training help deliver oxygen and nutrients to your body's tissues faster and help your muscles work more efficiently. Therefore, during the day, a person has more energy to perform everyday tasks.

Disease Prevention

Physical activity helps prevent heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and reduces the risk of back pain and arthritis. Regular exercise can prevent or control a wide range of diseases. Some of these health conditions may include mental health. During exercise, the brain releases various chemicals that make you feel happy and relaxed.

Good dream

Everyone needs adequate sleep, and regular exercise can not only help you fall asleep faster, but also improve the quality of your sleep.

Excellent health

Exercise and workout will help you feel better. When you see your results, you will experience not only relief, but also pride in yourself. And regular physical activity will make you more resilient, strong, and self-confident.

Feeling of happiness and good mood

The impact on the parts of the brain that are responsible for the occurrence of anxiety occurs with a variety of exercises, this is how the condition is alleviated. When playing sports, the properties of endorphins are activated, they, in turn, make the perception of pain much less and create good emotions. Exercise helps people recognize and manage their fears and reduce feelings of anxiety. It is possible to influence the mood with any type of training. The difference in mood swings occurs within a small amount of time when training is stopped.

Benefits for bones and muscles

When building strong muscles and bones, frequent exercise is important. When they are performed, hormones are created, they increase the consumption of amino acids by the muscles. This process increases muscle growth and endurance.

With age, the performance of muscles and their mass is lost. Regular exercise prevents this process.

Improvement of the skin and its condition

To slow down the aging process, enhanced antioxidant protection for the body is required. Some physical activity helps this process. There is a stimulation of blood flow to the skin, there is a protection and improvement of the skin in humans.

Productive brain work and memory recovery

Sport helps to stimulate, mental work,. The production of hormones is helped by physical activity, and the growth of nerve cells depends on the hormones themselves. Undoubtedly, it is important for older people to be active, because with age, changes in brain structures and their functionality occur.

Pain Reduction

When dealing with constant pain, sports exercises are very helpful. Studies show that with certain exercises on an ongoing basis, the pain becomes less. Sports help dull the feeling of pain.

While playing sports, you will definitely meet a lot of like-minded people. These acquaintances will provide you with pleasant and interesting company, help you stay motivated for training, and expand your usual social circle.

Improving intimate life

Strengthen sexual desire, sports activity is capable. Regular sports activities affect intimate activity in the best possible way. It improves body flexibility and muscle tone, has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Women who have passed the study said that after the start of training on an ongoing basis, they began to experience more orgasms.

Why don't people go in for sports?


One of the main reasons is laziness. She is as old as the man himself.

People constantly find excuses not to go to the gym and lie on the bed. Most believe that we are the soul, and there is no point in pumping the body if it is not immortal. So thought the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. He lifted the soul above the body shell. Therefore, intellectual labor surpasses physical labor in popularity.

The idea of ​​Plato was adopted by the Romans when Christianity began to spread. These ideas have also been transferred there, although the Bible does not say a word about the immortal soul, in the form in which it was perceived by Plato, and besides, it denies the afterlife.

Thus, the idea that the intellect is the path to development, and physical labor is the lot of slaves, has taken root in the minds of modern man.

Another reason is that people usually associate physical strength and lack of intelligence. This is a wrong point of view, because with the right approach, sports contribute to development even more than mental work.

The benefits of sports

Scientists unanimously say that playing sports is the key to the mind. The set contains a lot of facts about the influence of physical labor on the brain. If you look at modern society, you can see that not only adults are chained to the sofa. Many children and teenagers can't get out of their gadgets all day long. Such a lifestyle will not have a good effect on mental faculties. In the future, such people suffer from diseases of the back, heart, flat feet.

It has also been proven that playing sports allows you to use your brain to the maximum, increase concentration and creativity.

Sports activities bring many benefits:

Practical exercises for the brain

If you organize yourself, you can find the benefits of sports not only as physical training, but also as the development of the practical side of mental abilities. Even with the usual cleaning of the apartment, the brain strains more than when solving mathematical problems.

Raising an organized person

Sport requires not only the regularity of training, but also organization. An incorrect load schedule will only exacerbate the problem, so a person needs to think through every step.

Willpower Improvement

Every time people get to work, they feel an irresistible urge to relax or have fun. Sports are no exception. Therefore, if you train regularly, then you can succeed in other matters.

Physical activity on almost the entire body gives a positive result. Undoubtedly, general health improves with certain sports and regular physical activity.

Sport is important and useful not only for physical health. It is also a great way to relieve yourself of negative thoughts, improve your mood, charge you with optimism and increase self-esteem.

So what kind of sports to do to be healthy, young, beautiful and self-confident?

In this article, many sports will be considered, and an assessment will be given to each of them.

Athletics is the most popular sport. It includes running, walking, jumping and throwing. The main type of athletics, of course, is.

The benefits of running
  1. Running helps prevent atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes, helps lower blood cholesterol levels.
  2. Proper breathing during jogging trains the lungs, increases their volume, increases the supply of oxygen to all organs and tissues.
  3. Running is useful for the figure in that it affects several causes of excess weight at once: it speeds up metabolism, increases the average daily calorie consumption, strengthens muscles, and reduces hunger.
  4. Running has a positive effect on the digestive system. It improves intestinal motility, increases blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract, increases the tone of all internal organs.
  5. Jogging can tighten and rejuvenate the skin. The tone of the muscles of the face and body increases, as a result of which the skin becomes noticeably more elastic.
  6. Running will be an excellent antidepressant for you, it will make you more energetic, cheerful and relieve insomnia. In addition, improved blood circulation during jogging will have a beneficial effect on mental abilities.
The harm of running

Running can have a negative impact on the musculoskeletal system. The harm of running is manifested in problems with the joints, ligaments, spine, but only if you use the wrong technique. If you approach the matter correctly, jogging will only benefit you.

Swimming is a great sport, especially for men. The load on all the muscles of the body and a charge of vivacity are provided to you.

The benefits of swimming
  1. Development of all muscle groups.
  2. Strengthening the joints.
  3. Hardening of the body, increasing resistance to colds and strengthening immunity.
  4. Formation of correct posture, treatment of scoliosis, osteochondrosis.
  5. Positive effect on the cardiovascular, nervous and respiratory systems.
  6. Getting rid of extra centimeters in the abdomen.
  7. Increased performance.
Harm of swimming
  • Chlorine used to disinfect pool water can cause allergic skin reactions, eye irritation and dermatitis.
  • With constant swimming in the pool, the female figure becomes masculine due to the strong development of the shoulder muscles (with a couple of sessions a week and swims of no more than five hundred meters, the figure will not suffer).

3. Martial arts (martial arts)

Benefits of martial arts
  1. If necessary, you will be able to protect yourself and those close to you.
  2. You .
  3. You are developing physically.
  4. Many martial arts have their own philosophy, and as you develop as a fighter, you also develop as a person.
Harm of martial arts
  • Not the best job for women.
  • There is an increased risk of injury.

4. Bodybuilding, fitness

No matter what anyone says, but having a beautiful body is cool. Anyone can get inflated muscles and an impressive relief. If you have a desire to look better than the vast majority of people, then bodybuilding is what you need.

The benefits of bodybuilding
  1. You will look beautiful.
  2. You will look younger.
  3. Your self-esteem will increase.
  4. During power loads, endorphins are released - hormones of happiness, so you are provided with a state of joy.
  5. As a result of moderate training, heart health is strengthened, and blood vessels become more elastic.
Harm of bodybuilding
  • A pumped body is not the most beautiful sight. It is important not to overdo it here.
  • If you do not take steroids and follow the training program, you will not feel harm.

The benefits of football
  1. Playing football strengthens muscles, increases bone density, which reduces the risk of fractures.
  2. The motor coordination of athletes improves.
  3. Breathing improves, as well as the work of all organs, since one of the main components of football is running.
  4. Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  5. Due to the fact that football is a team game, communication skills are developed, as well as the ability to work together in a team.
The harm of football

The possibility of injury is probably the only disadvantage of this sport. If you play football professionally, there will be a lot of leg injuries.

Benefits of Basketball
  1. Improved coordination, agility and endurance.
  2. Engaging all muscle groups through a combination of running, jumping and throwing.
  3. Improvement in peripheral vision.
  4. Development of the cardiovascular system.
  5. The development of the respiratory organs.
  6. Prevention of diseases of the joints.
The harm of basketball

Basketball is also subject to injury. The most common injuries in basketball are ankle sprains, dislocations of the legs, injuries to the knee, meniscus, hands and fingers, damage to the jaw and teeth as a result of elbow strikes to the face.

The benefits of volleyball
  1. Improving blood circulation and, consequently, strengthening the cardiovascular system.
  2. The development of the respiratory system.
  3. Strengthening the musculoskeletal system and improving joint mobility.
  4. Development of reaction, coordination of movements, dexterity and flexibility. This helps to avoid injuries in everyday life, for example, during the period of ice.
  5. Training of the eye muscles, which contributes to the preservation of vision for a long time.
  6. In addition to the fact that you burn calories playing volleyball, your figure will develop in absolutely proportionate way. This is especially important for women who do not need huge shoulders.
Volleyball harm
  • The knees are often injured.
  • There is a possibility of knocking out or breaking fingers.
  • Stretching of the shoulder joints, lumbar muscles.

Benefits of cycling
  1. The cardiovascular system is trained, as a result of which the vessels are strengthened and blood pressure decreases.
  2. Positive effect on the nervous system. Slow driving perfectly calms the nerves, increases stress resistance and helps to disconnect from routine worries.
  3. The load on the respiratory system, which increases with fast cycling, improves ventilation of the lungs, trains active breathing and reduces the likelihood of respiratory diseases.
  4. In the process of cycling, many muscles of the body are involved, primarily the legs, buttocks, back and abs. In addition, the joints are strengthened, the ligamentous apparatus is being developed.
  5. Cycling burns fat like running does. Starting to pedal, you can say goodbye to 300-500 calories in one hour. Physical activity speeds up metabolism, restoring slimness to the legs, buttocks and waist thinness.
  6. Training the eye muscles reduces the risk of myopia and sharpens vision.
Harm of cycling

An improperly fitted bicycle saddle can compress the genitals, which can affect sexual life. To avoid such a negative impact, you should be serious about bike adjustments and choose only a comfortable saddle.

A triathlon is a multi-sport race that includes continuous successive passage by its participants of three stages: swimming, cycling and running.

The positive and negative aspects of running, swimming and cycling have been discussed above.

10. Tennis

Benefits of tennis
  1. All muscle groups are involved: the muscles of the legs, back, abs, arms and even the neck.
  2. Respiratory and cardiovascular systems are trained.
  3. The speed of the reaction develops.
  4. Tennis is an intellectual sport, because in addition to technique, tactics are also important in it.
Harm of tennis
  • Musculoskeletal injuries, in particular knee and ankle injuries.
  • A tennis player's professional injury is his elbow, which is caused by long and monotonous hand movements.

Benefits of table tennis
  1. It has a beneficial effect on the development of mobility of the hands, strengthens the muscles of the hands and wrists.
  2. Helps to increase the speed of hand movement, develop attention and reaction.
  3. Develops the hip, wrist, elbow and shoulder joints.
Table tennis harm
  • Table tennis alone, not supported by physical activity, will not help you become a physically strong person.
  • If you play table tennis too actively from childhood, there is a risk of postural disorders as a result of a stronger development of the muscles of the arms, shoulder girdle, back from the side of the playing hand, since it makes much more movements.

If you decide to take up hockey, keep in mind that hockey equipment will cost money. Hockey skates, sticks, protection, etc. - all this will need to be bought. And of course, the equipment must be professional.

The benefits of hockey
  1. Hockey develops strong guys, because any training includes not only the respiratory load, but also the intense work of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and leg muscles. A strong hockey player will be able to stand up for himself.
  2. In hockey, reaction and speed are extremely necessary. All players skate very fast, and the puck sometimes flies at speeds well over 100 km/h. If you watch football after watching a hockey match, then at first it may seem that the players move like snails.
  3. In addition to a well-developed circulatory system, the hockey player gets hardened from respiratory diseases.
  4. From a psychological point of view, hockey players are more balanced, since all aggression is left on the field.
  5. Since hockey is a team game, the skill of working in a team is developed, as well.
Hockey harm
  • Hockey is one of the most traumatic sports. Bruises, fractures, broken teeth are not uncommon when it comes to hockey.
  • If you want to relax and just have fun thanks to sports, and prefer reading books to tough power struggles, maybe you should think about another sport.

The benefits of billiards
  1. Billiards is an exciting pastime in the company of your favorite friends.
  2. It does not require large loads on the body, it is also not necessary to have a strong heart and excellent lungs, while the organs receive a light load, which is more like a massage.
  3. Billiards is useful for older people.
  4. Playing billiards is the best training for your eye, clarity and accuracy of your body movements.
  5. Billiards requires from the player a constant creative approach to any given situation and instant resourcefulness (the location of the balls on the billiard table can never be predicted, it is practically not duplicated).
  6. The player is accustomed to composure, clarity of mind, clarity of movement, balances his emotions, gets used to patience
Harm of billiards

Does he exist?

Benefits of bowling
  1. Develops an eye, the ability to immediately determine the distance to the object and the trajectory of the ball.
  2. Develops the ability to coordinate their actions, aligning them to diamond accuracy.
  3. Throwing the ball alternately with both hands will improve the interaction between the hemispheres of the brain and help coordinate both sides of the body.
  4. Of course, bowling cannot be compared to fitness, but, nevertheless, you can count on strengthening the muscles of the arms, back and legs.
  5. The indisputable benefit of bowling is to strengthen friendships. This is a game that unites you in a free evening, helps you make new acquaintances, and diversify your leisure time with a pleasant active hobby.
Bowling harm

Bowling cannot bring any harm. But still, you should not do it during the recovery period after operations and injuries of any kind, especially fractures, dislocations and sprains of joints and ligaments, in the presence of osteochondrosis, sciatica, posture disorders and any problems with the spine.

Figure skating is one of the most sophisticated sports, on the verge of art. It develops plasticity, forms a beautiful, developed body, and improves health.

The benefits of figure skating
  1. Health promotion. Skaters are less likely to suffer from colds, due to the special microclimate of the rink. The presence of ice increases the humidity of the air, which is very useful, because in winter in all heated rooms it falls below the desired norm. A long stay in the cool atmosphere of the ice rink helps to harden and improve the body.
  2. As a result of figure skating, metabolism improves, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are intensively included in the work. However, this happens gradually, which is very favorable for not quite healthy people. Therefore, skating is useful for people (and especially children) with a weakened immune system, often suffering from respiratory diseases, and even with heart disease.
  3. harmonious development. Figure skating develops overall endurance, flexibility, agility and strength, improves coordination and reaction speed. The stability of the vestibular apparatus increases (especially useful for those who get motion sickness in transport); by trying to learn how to skate, you will gain the ability to group when you fall, and domestic injuries will become a rarity.
  4. Figure improvement. Classes will quickly help you lose weight - an average of 400 calories are burned per hour. Another healing effect of skating is its beneficial effect on posture. This is good both for the treatment and for the prevention of scoliosis, posture disorders and other problems with the musculoskeletal system.
  5. Skates are good because they are accessible to people of any age.
The harm of figure skating
  • Injuries, however, they are usually not very severe: bruises of the arms, legs and soft tissues of the head, which quickly pass.
  • When mastering the technique of jumping, there may be sprains and other injuries, up to serious leg fractures.

16. Alpine skiing, snowboarding

Alpine skiing and snowboarding is not the cheapest entertainment, so if you decide to take up this sport, get ready to fork out.

The benefits of skiing
  1. Increasing endurance and speeding up the reaction.
  2. Improved coordination of movements.
  3. It is always fresh air, and often mountain air, that is, especially clean air.
  4. This is very often a good or even spectacular view. Mountains, slopes, snow, sky. This is great.
  5. The opportunity to experience the extreme in your life, the speed, the wind.
  6. This is often a great company of active people.
  7. Traditional field trips, a wonderful shake-up during the coldest and hardest working period.
  8. For many, skiing is a demonstration of their own status.
Harm of skiing
  • Alpine skiing is very traumatic with the possibility of falls and collisions.
  • If you do not warm up and warm up properly before skiing, the risk of damage during the most ordinary skiing increases due to the uneven load on the spinal back and knees.

Benefits of roller skates
  1. Training of the vestibular apparatus.
  2. Development of coordination of movements and balance.
  3. Development of speed, endurance, agility, flexibility, stretching, courage, discipline.
  4. Improving the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the musculoskeletal system.
  5. Harmonious development of all muscles.
  6. If you skate in the winter and miss it in the summer, roller skates are a good replacement.
Damage to roller skates

Possible injuries to the arms, legs, head, back.

The benefits of mountaineering
  1. Develops balance, coordination and flexibility.
  2. Tendons, all muscles and the cardiovascular system are trained.
  3. Mountain climbing helps many girls to lose weight, because during classes the muscles of the lower back, abdomen, calves and thighs are strengthened.
  4. Climbing helps to correct flat feet and posture, as well as tone all back muscles.
  5. Fingers and hands are strengthened, become more mobile and dexterous.
  6. Climbing perfectly develops intelligence, visual memory and the ability to plan.
Harm of mountaineering

Climbing is one of the most traumatic sports. Climbers risk falls from great heights, fractures and open injuries, dislocations, and severe hypothermia of internal organs and limbs.

The benefits of surfing
  1. With the help of surfing, you will put in order a huge number of muscles, lose extra pounds and improve blood circulation.
  2. Good mood, bursts of adrenaline, endless sea and fresh air will complete the picture of your joyful sports activities.
  3. Arms, shoulder girdle, knee and hip joints are strengthened.
  4. Surfing girls have a beautiful figure.
Harm of surfing
  • Asymmetrical loads on the spine, shoulders, neck and knees.
  • Surfing professionally is at risk of melanoma.

The benefits of fencing
  1. During fencing, all muscle groups are involved, both small and large: back, biceps with triceps, and pectoral muscles. But the main load goes to the legs, which are constantly in motion.
  2. Positive effect on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
  3. Improves coordination of movements.
  4. The figure becomes toned, and extra pounds go away.
Harm fencing

A forced position that can cause a “skew” of the spine, which is not conducive to health. This can be corrected by simultaneously training the right and left stances.

The benefits of rowing
  1. Outdoor activities from early spring to late autumn are great tempering. The lungs and heart develop.
  2. All major muscle groups are trained: legs, arms, abdomen, back and buttocks.
  3. Endurance develops.
  4. Excellent calories are burned, weight is reduced and blood pressure is normalized.
  5. Rowers (men) are provided with a beautiful slender figure, because the first stage of training is general physical preparation: running, stretching, swimming.
Harm of rowing

The load on the body is quite large. As rowers age, joint problems are not ruled out.

The benefits of equestrianism
  1. Equestrian sport is one of the most suitable types of therapy after serious injuries involving only minor physical exertion.
  2. Horse riding will benefit from orthopedic diseases and impaired coordination of movements.
  3. Horse riding can correct posture.
  4. Horse riding improves metabolism, relieves intestinal problems, eliminates the symptoms of coronary heart disease and vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is effective for bronchial asthma and some gynecological diseases.
  5. While riding a horse, blood circulation is accelerated and blood supply improves.
  6. Horseback riding can reduce symptoms or completely eliminate diseases such as autism, mild forms of schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, dementia, and neurosis.
Harm of equestrian sports

Given the fact that a horse is a living creature that can behave unpredictably and abruptly, it is necessary not to lose vigilance and concentration so as not to get injured as a result of handling the horse or a possible fall.

Benefits of dancing
  1. Dancing does not involve sharp and serious stress on the body.
  2. They positively affect your posture and the beauty of gait and movements.
  3. Develop the respiratory system.
  4. They help to get rid of frequent colds and greatly facilitate their course in those who suffer from asthmatic attacks.
  5. Dancing prolongs life, maintains the general tone of the body and maintains cheerfulness and efficiency for a long time.
The harm of dancing

Incorrect position in dancing or choosing a partner of inappropriate height can negatively affect posture.

To specifically answer the question of what kind of sports can be practiced with osteochondrosis, only a doctor can, having the patient's tests on hand. There are many degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine, each of them has its own characteristics and stages. In some cases, there may be significant pain, in others - limited mobility.

Professional sports loads on health have a negative effect - this is a well-known fact, however, feasible and in some way limited loads can help relax muscles and prevent the development of the disease. However, there are contraindications, for example, running with cervical osteochondrosis is contraindicated, but it is recommended to walk more to improve blood circulation.

In the same way, it is impossible to categorically answer the question, is it possible to work out in the gym with osteochondrosis? It all depends on the stage of the disease and on what loads the body will experience during training.

If classes in the gym are intensified, then the disease will take an acute form, resulting in a strong pain syndrome, that is, a person will not be able to play sports with osteochondrosis, no matter how much he wants to. In other words, osteochondrosis and various sports can be combined, but competently, and any training should be allowed by a doctor.

Restrictions for different types of osteochondrosis

The type of osteochondrosis depends on the area of ​​its occurrence. Physical activity is directly related to the localization of osteochondrosis, since different exercises have an effect on one or another part of the spinal column.

With cervical osteochondrosis, exercises that improve blood circulation in the upper section are useful. Since with cervical osteochondrosis there is strong pressure on the vessels that feed the brain, the progression of the disease can lead to severe and sometimes irreversible consequences. Therefore, it is necessary to approach the choice of sports in this case as carefully as possible.

With osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, the diagnosis is quite difficult, since pain attacks are often confused with heart pain. This type of osteochondrosis is less common, and its symptoms in the acute stage are unlikely to cause a desire to play sports, since motor activity is most often impaired.

The most common type is osteochondrosis of the sacral and lumbar. At the same time, the patient may experience severe pain attacks in the lumbar region, pain can capture the gluteal region, thighs and perineum. Strong loads and sharp turns increase the pain, there may also be backache - very sharp pain.

If the disease is not treated in time, then it leads to a deterioration in blood flow in the affected area, as a result of which the muscles weaken, there are difficulties with movement, and the gait changes.

Therefore, the exercises that the doctor can allow for this type of disease should be aimed at strengthening the muscles in the lumbosacral region. However, heavy loads can cause complications.

There is also polysegmental osteochondrosis, which occurs in segments of one or different parts of the spinal column. In this case, about physical exercises, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is necessary, since sometimes sports can be completely contraindicated.

With shoulder, hip, knee osteochondrosis, physical exercises can be different, the main thing is that they spare the affected area. For example, with knee osteochondrosis, it is better not to strain your legs too much, and with shoulder osteochondrosis, you can’t swim breaststroke or crawl.

Radicular syndrome is an infringement of nerve endings, which is accompanied by an inflammatory process. The pain is greatly intensified. In this case, any physical exercise should be suspended until the inflammation is completely removed and the pain disappears.

Loads at different stages of osteochondrosis

Which sport will be allowed and which is contraindicated depends on the stage of the disease. There are only 4 of them:

  1. The disk nucleus dries out and deforms. Pain is still not very intense and unstable. This stage is perfectly treated, and sports activities in that case can not be canceled.
  2. The disc is almost not capable of cushioning, the pressure on the nerves and blood vessels increases. The pain gets worse when you exercise. At this stage, it is recommended to reduce the load, but continue to exercise.
  3. The fibrous ring is destroyed, a hernial protrusion is formed, mobility worsens, inflammation appears. Physical activity should be canceled and treated for inflammation.
  4. The tissues of the disks are replaced with regenerated ones, and the disks themselves are fixed in a given position, as a result of which the posture changes. Motor functions are impaired and limited. The spine becomes static. Exercise and physical activity should be minimal, and most often they are limited to exercise therapy. Fitness, sports and other activities in this case are out of the question.

Osteochondrosis and exercise

To combine sports life and osteochondrosis, and at the same time not harm your health, you must consider the following points:

  1. In the acute period of the disease, any physical activity is contraindicated.
  2. Exercises should be chosen such that they have the maximum benefit for the spine. Body tilts with a stick behind the back, pull-ups on the bar and all exercises that are performed in the prone position are recommended.
  3. After completing all the exercises, you need to stretch your back. It is allowed to use any devices that contribute to the extension of the spine. At the end of the workout, you need to lie down for a while, stretching your back on a flat surface.
  4. It is desirable to cancel jumping and running at speed, as they can cause an exacerbation of the disease.
  5. Do not perform exercises that create a strong deflection in the back.
  6. If during the performance of any exercise pain occurs, then it must be canceled. Let's just have a little discomfort.

Sport in osteochondrosis of the cervical region is not a contraindication, but it is useful only in the initial stages of the disease, with severe pain, the patient should be in absolute rest. Jogging should be completely excluded, especially during the acute period of the disease, it is better not to go to the gym yet, but Nordic walking will be very helpful. However, for walking, it is better to choose a flat and soft surface; it is not advisable to walk on a concrete or asphalt road. Optimally - an earthen or sandy path in the forest. The only sport for osteochondrosis that has no restrictions is swimming, water aerobics is also useful.

fitness classes

Fitness for osteochondrosis is useful in almost all cases. Exercise reduces the risk of pinching nerve endings, helps break up salt deposits between the vertebrae, and improves blood circulation.

However, fitness is possible only when the classes are carried out correctly and in accordance with the existing disease. The instructor must be sure to report the diagnosis, and ask him to choose exercises that will not harm.

You can do fitness with osteochondrosis as follows:

  • do not burden exercises with significant weight, as there is a risk of displacing the vertebrae;
  • in no case should you lift the barbell, even from a prone position;
  • if pain occurs, the exercises should be stopped;
  • no need to do fast exercises, especially when it comes to turns.

In principle, osteochondrosis and fitness may well coexist, the main thing is to listen carefully to your body during training and not ignore its signals.

What conclusions can be drawn?

You can get in shape with osteochondrosis. It is necessary to choose a sport based on the severity of the disease and the condition of the spine as a whole. In the acute form of the disease, sports are excluded, you must first cure all the inflammatory processes in the spine, and then exercise. While pain is present, it is also desirable to limit the load. While exercising, it is extremely important to maintain a posture that is comfortable for the neck and spine.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease, in this regard, it is necessary to maintain a stable condition and not lead to exacerbations. It is very important not to diagnose yourself, and even more so not to prescribe treatment for yourself, and also not to listen to the advice of friends who have encountered this problem. You need to visit a doctor, undergo a diagnosis and strictly follow all the recommendations that a specialist will give. Regarding sports, you should also consult a doctor so as not to aggravate the situation.

Muscle pain and how to get rid of it

All people experience muscle pain from time to time. They may be associated with increased physical activity, long-term preservation of an uncomfortable body position, or certain diseases. Myalgia or muscle pain is not dangerous in itself, but it can cause serious discomfort and suffering. In addition, sometimes it is a signal of the development of a serious illness. Therefore, it is important to know why muscle pains appear, how to cope with them on your own, in which cases you need to see a doctor.

What is myalgia

Muscle pain that occurs periodically in people during exercise or at rest is called myalgia. It can be caused by various reasons and be accompanied by other symptoms. Usually such pain is observed throughout the muscle and increases with movement or pressure on the muscle tissue.

In most cases, myalgia requires special treatment only if it causes severe pain or restricts movement. But most of the time, the symptoms go away on their own after rest. Treatment of muscle pain, which is a symptom of more serious diseases, should begin with the elimination of their cause.

A variation of this painful condition is fibromyalgia. This syndrome has recently become more common, especially among the urban population. It is accompanied by pain and weakness in the muscles, sleep disturbance, headaches, decreased performance.

Myalgia associated with physical work and sports is more common in men. Women and children may suffer from muscle spasms due to emotional overload or various diseases. The pain is localized mainly in the muscles of the legs or arms, as well as the back. Often because of this, a person cannot move normally. Therefore, it is important to know why myalgia occurs and how to deal with it.

Muscle pain after exercise

Most often, people experience such sensations after hard physical work or sports training. This may be due to the accumulation of lactic acid, a product of metabolic processes in the muscles. Such pain quickly passes and only benefits the body. Lactic acid acts as an antioxidant. It accelerates tissue regeneration. Because of this, muscle volume increases.

Sometimes during intense training, microtrauma of muscle fibers occurs. This also causes pain. If the body does not have time to recover, the muscle is depleted. The pain becomes constant. Therefore, in this case, you need to reduce the load, pay more attention to stretching exercises. So that training does not lead to muscle pain, it is necessary to warm up well before training, gradually increase the load and drink more fluids.

Why do muscle pains still appear

Myalgia is not always associated with increased physical activity. Muscles work properly only with normal blood circulation and metabolism. If this process is disturbed, a spasm occurs, causing pain. There are various causes of muscle pain, so measures taken for treatment should take them into account.

In most cases, muscle pain does not require serious treatment, as it usually goes away after rest. But there are situations when myalgia indicates serious health problems. It is advisable to consult a doctor for diagnosis in such cases:

  • if muscle pain is constant or occurs periodically;
  • if the pain takes on a jerking character;
  • if the pain appeared after training, but does not go away after rest;
  • redness of soft tissues or swelling appeared;
  • the pain is accompanied by alarming symptoms: urinary retention, rash, shortness of breath, or high fever.

What to do for muscle pain

If the pain occurs infrequently, then the treatment can be carried out independently. The following remedies will help alleviate the condition:

  • in any case, with pain in the muscles, you need to provide them with peace;
  • if, after an injury, a cold compress is immediately applied to the affected area, this will stop the inflammatory process;
  • with myalgia, warming compresses, a heating pad or a warm bath are effective;
  • various ointments also help relieve pain;
  • you can take a medicine, for example, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Nimesulide, Nise or Ketorol, but you can’t do this often without a doctor’s prescription;
  • a safer effect than tablets is provided by kinesio plasters with a warming effect, for example, pepper, "Ketonal Thermo", "Nanoplast Forte" and others;
  • if the arm or leg hurts, you can apply a tight bandage with an elastic bandage;
  • massage helps well, it improves blood circulation in the muscles and helps them relax;
  • exercises are effective, best for stretching, performed at a slow pace.

Medical treatment for myalgia

To relieve muscle pain, various compresses, rubbing and ointments are used. They usually contain anti-inflammatory or pain-relieving ingredients. But drugs with a warming or distracting effect are often used to treat myalgia. These are those that contain bee or snake venom, camphor, turpentine, capsaicin, menthol or essential oils.

There are many medications that are effective for myalgia.

  1. Ointment "Apizartron" based on bee venom and mustard oil is used for inflammatory diseases, as well as after injuries. It is good for muscle massage.
  2. The drug "Vipratox" containing camphor and bee venom is very effective.
  3. Quickly relieves muscle pain after exercise "Gymnastogal".
  4. Help with myalgia ointments based on herbal extracts and essential oils. These are Sanitas, Myoton and others.
  5. Ointment "Naftalgin" is very effective due to the complex action of the analgesic and Naftalan oil.
  6. Rubbing the sore spot with pepper tincture or Menovazin helps well.
  7. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments are also often used: Voltaren, Fastum, Ketonal, Diclofenac, Indomethacin and others.

Folk remedies

Various tinctures and decoctions of herbs, as well as self-prepared rubbing and compresses, help many people get rid of muscle pain. Such remedies can be used only if myalgia occurs infrequently, but it is still better to consult a doctor first. Help relieve pain such folk recipes:

  • take inside decoctions of sweet clover, naked hernia, thyme, adonis, physalis berries, willow buds;
  • for compresses, baths and rubbing, mountain arnica tincture, a decoction of willow twigs, mint leaves are used;
  • effective ointment based on vegetable oil or vaseline from dried bay leaf and juniper twigs or from horsetail powder;
  • you can make a compress from a cabbage leaf smeared with soap and sprinkled with soda;
  • if there is no allergy to honey, you can rub it on a sore spot, for a greater effect, mix it with grated horseradish or black radish;
  • take warm baths with pine extract or sea salt.

What else can you do to help yourself?

If myalgia is associated with intoxication of the body, circulatory disorders or other diseases, treatment should be directed precisely at this. But you can further relieve muscle pain.

  • With infectious diseases or other intoxications, myalgia appears due to the accumulation of toxins and metabolic products in the tissues. Therefore, you can remove it by removing them from the body. To do this, you need to drink more herbal decoctions, fruit drinks and compotes, you can visit the steam room.
  • To eliminate muscle pain after illness or injury, it would be good to take a course of massage or physiotherapy. Particularly effective are ultraviolet radiation and electrophoresis with novocaine, as well as mud and paraffin applications. In addition to regular massage, you can try reflexology or acupuncture.
  • To restore the normal functioning of the muscles, physical education is useful. Best of all - walking, cycling, swimming. Stretching exercises are also effective.

Everyone has experienced muscle pain at least once in their life. Sometimes they go unnoticed, other times they cause serious trouble. To effectively get rid of pain, you need to know what causes them. Indeed, sometimes there are conditions when only a special treatment prescribed by a doctor can help.

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Fitness, Pilates, running, push-ups, water aerobics for osteochondrosis, with proper use, are not only not contraindicated, but are also allowed with proper conduct. Of course, there are different degrees of degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine. With them, there may be a strong pain syndrome, secondary disorders in the internal organs, and limited mobility.

When choosing a sport, you should consult with your doctor about its correct implementation. Everyone knows that professional sports loads do not contribute to health. Only limited physical activity will help prevent the relaxation of the muscular frame of the back and prevent the progression of the disease.

Professional running with cervical osteochondrosis is contraindicated. But dosed physical activity will help improve blood circulation in the spinal column. If you go in for sports, degenerative-dystrophic changes will become acute. When a strong pain syndrome appears, you still have to quit your favorite pastime. It is better to do this earlier than to suffer from your carelessness later.

Thus, osteochondrosis and sports are compatible only with proper implementation of the doctor's recommendations regarding physical activity. In the article we will consider the subtleties and nuances of this issue.

With degenerative changes in the spine, some sports are contraindicated:

  • Heavy athletic training for osteochondrosis;
  • High jump;
  • Throwing a spear;
  • Discus throw;
  • Badminton;
  • Tennis.

When practicing the above types, a strong load is created on the spinal column. Intensive muscle pumping will contribute to the curvature of the spinal axis. Even during periods of remission of degenerative-dystrophic diseases, skeletal muscles cannot be strongly pumped up.

Even pull-ups with osteochondrosis are dangerous, since they stretch the spinal column. With subluxations or instability of the vertebrae, traction will damage the soft tissues, which will increase the pain syndrome. In this case, prolapse of the intervertebral hernia may occur.

Hockey and football with osteochondrosis are dangerous due to trauma to the body. Ideally, outdoor sports should have a healing effect on the body. However, participants often get carried away, which leads to unexpected injuries, sprains of the musculoskeletal system.

The risk of spinal injuries increases when skiing, freestyle, jumping from a height. Skiing in winter puts a strain on the spinal column due to the need to carry a backpack on your back.

The minimum load on the back is created when the burden is localized at the back on the straps that are attached to the shoulders. In such a situation, the muscle fibers do not tense much, which does not lead to a displacement of the spinal axis.

Golf, badminton and tennis are accompanied by sharp turns of the torso to the side. With them, pain increases, and the degree of instability of the vertebrae increases. The displacement of the vertebral segments gradually leads to the formation of hernias.

Walking in the forest, swimming, running with cervical osteochondrosis, swimming - help to normalize blood circulation and relieve pain.

To improve the back, you should do evening jogging in the fresh air. It is better to run along the path with sawdust in sports shoes. In such a situation, the strengthening of the spinal column will be carried out due to the shock-absorbing load.

Swimming and water aerobics for osteochondrosis allows you to relax your back muscles. When practicing these sports, the strengthening of skeletal muscles occurs as efficiently as possible.

It should be understood, only that any sport in diseases of the spine is contraindicated during pain. It is better to cancel physical education until health is restored. Immediately after the pain, even minor gymnastics is recommended. You can hang on the horizontal bar, stretch, do breathing exercises according to Sokolova. The main thing is the regularity of physical therapy.

For women, we recommend Pilates or fitness for osteochondrosis, which should be done regularly. These workouts allow you to strengthen the muscles of the neck and lower back. A strong muscular corset will maintain the correct position of the spinal axis. It is advisable to run outdoors for 20-30 minutes after doing fitness or Pilates. This creates an opportunity to strengthen the respiratory muscles.

Pilates with cervical osteochondrosis helps prevent cerebral hypoxia. Classes prevent compression of the vertebral artery in the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae. This vessel provides blood to about 25% of brain tissue. Pathology is observed with instability or subluxation of the vertebrae of the neck.

Let us draw the attention of readers to the physical activity that occurs when lifting weights, sitting at the table. During static movements, the muscles are constantly in a state of asynchronous tone. At work, to relieve muscle stress, we advise you to get up often and make minimal movements.

At home, an exercise bike with osteochondrosis has a good effect for restoring skeletal muscles, which will relieve physical stress. The use of such products should be discussed with a doctor.

Lean against the back of a chair in a sitting position. In this case, the back of the chair should be located above the shoulder girdle. The seat is desirable to choose a flat and hard. Its depth should not be less than a quarter of the size of the hips.

Remember that when lifting heavy objects from the floor, you should sit down a little. At the same time, keep your back straight, straighten your knee joints. Make sure that the muscles of the legs are not in a state of contraction.

Thus, simulators, running, cycling, rocking the press are activities that are allowed for degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine. Before using them, you should coordinate with the doctor the exercises with which you will treat the pathology.

In conclusion, advice to women: high heels are not conducive to health. If you can't refuse it, limit the wearing time.

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