“Chief Academician Ioffe proved that cognac and coffee will replace sports and prevention for you,” Vladimir Vysotsky once sang. True, the true meaning of the song lies in completely different planes, but if you take it literally, the great bard was absolutely right: playing sports significantly improves the quality of life. Any exercise is good for a healthy body. What if a virus sneaks up? What to do: leave the usual rate of exercise, reduce the intensity of physical activity or completely abandon them?

To understand the issue, let's start with the changes that occur in the body during the period of the disease.

You are used to exercising regularly, but one far from perfect day, getting out of bed, you feel:

• headache;
• weakness, despite a long night's rest;
• nasal congestion;
• sore throat.

It is clear that some kind of virus has "leaked" into the body, and now the immune system is being restructured - from now on, all forces will be directed to fighting the "outsider".

If the body “feels” that the virus is not dangerous, there is no significant deterioration in well-being:

• body temperature does not rise;
• no desire to lie down;
• appetite does not change.

Perhaps, in a few hours after the start of the active work of protective cells, you will already feel better. In such cases, they say: “In the morning I felt bad, and then I “dispersed”. Everything can be limited to local reactions: runny nose, mild sore throat, hoarseness. In general, the body functions in the usual mode, an active struggle with the symptoms goes on at the local level - where the inflammation began. Doctors in such situations diagnose "ARI" or "ARVI". If there is only redness of the pharynx and sore throat, sometimes with a slight fever for one day, they speak of pharyngitis. If the voice “sat down” slightly and there is a constant coughing, this is laryngitis. All of these diseases are caused by viruses, but contrary to common misconception, it is not the flu.

In this case, training for a cold is not prohibited. However, there are several limitations:

1. Do not force yourself to perform all the exercises that you do in a normal state. Reduce load to a minimum.
2. Forget about weight training for a while. Strength training equipment, weights, dumbbells - all this should be postponed until complete recovery.
3. Listen to yourself: at the slightest deterioration in well-being, stop exercising.

Doing sports with a cold The best way treatment of the disease, because the body is already not easy, it expends energy on recovery, and you still require additional efforts from it.

But if you are accustomed to a sports regimen, have been training for many years and cannot imagine life without fitness or morning jogging, then you can carefully continue your classes.

For athletes who do not want to deviate from their usual schedule, doctors recommend switching to:

• running at a calm pace;
• yoga classes;
• stretching exercises;
• dancing.

During colds, you can even boost your immunity a little by continuing to exercise, because with a moderate load, blood circulation is activated, which means that decay products of pathogens are removed faster.

Let's not forget: we are talking only about mild forms of the disease that do not cause drastic changes in the normal daily routine!

Separately, it should be said about jogging. You can continue to train if:

• observe the "rule of the neck" (that is, if all the symptoms affect what is above the neck: runny nose, discomfort in the throat);
• on the street - "plus" temperature, which means that there is no risk of swallowing cold air due to nasal congestion and thereby provoking an increase in the disease;
• reduce the time of jogging to 15-20 minutes.

In general, tinting, if you have not abandoned them, it is better to transfer it from the gym or the street home - to treadmill. Running on fresh air, you will sweat, and then you can get cold, and then the cold will get worse or give complications. If you go to gym, then you risk infecting your “sports colleagues” with the virus. They probably won't thank you.

The above applies to SARS and acute respiratory infections, occurring in a mild form, without an increase in temperature. But what if the flu or parainfluenza came?

Influenza viruses are much more dangerous than those of the common cold. They spread from great speed penetrating into all organs and systems. Therefore, the onset of the disease is acute, expressed in a sharp jump in temperature to febrile values ​​\u200b\u200b- 38.5-390C, or even higher. When you're sick with the flu, it's hard to even get out of bed, not just do your daily chores.

Important! The body is completely focused on the fight against the virus, it has no strength left for anything else. Under these conditions, force yourself to perform any physical exercise- not just harmful, but can even be deadly! Moreover, it is impossible to engage not only in the midst of the disease, but even when the symptoms subside.

Even a low, subfebrile temperature is a contraindication to any exercise! Classes will cause the body to warm up, and it is already “hot” from the inside, so the temperature can rise sharply, and it will be even more difficult for the body.

During illness, anabolic processes are suppressed (that is, those during which the substances necessary for the body are synthesized - amino acids, monosaccharides, fats), metabolism changes. A lot of cortisol, the stress hormone, is released into the blood, which causes destructive processes in the muscles.

The worst thing that can happen if you ignore the advice of doctors and continue training without waiting for a full recovery is complications will develop. Any of them - "not a gift":

• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys);
• myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).

They are a consequence of the fact that the body, exhausted by the virus, is forced, instead of resting and gaining strength, to spend the rest of the energy on doing exercises. As a result, immunity weakens.

If you do not need such problems, forget about sports until the moment when the doctor gives the go-ahead. Remember how at school they were exempted from physical education for 2 weeks after a cold? Follow the advice of the doctors - give yourself such a release, recover.

Sport as a prevention of SARS and other viral diseases

If during colds the benefits of training are more than doubtful, then as a preventive measure, exercise and any other type of physical activity is what you need. Why?

During classes, metabolism is activated: all metabolic processes are more intense, which means that immunity is strengthened.

In addition, many sports are also hardening. So, if you are swimming, then the body experiences temperature changes when immersed in water and leaving it.

If you're running in a stadium or park, you're gradually accustoming yourself to adjusting to changes in the outside temperature. The main thing in this case is to avoid sudden hypothermia. Run, feel like you're out of breath? Never swallow cold air with your mouth! Take a step, breathing through your nose, walk at a calm pace. Don't stop, don't let the wind get under your clothes.

An excellent prevention of colds is swimming in open water. Minimal hardening goes on even in summer, in warmth, and even those who plunge into the hole in winter practically do not get sick with viral diseases. Reason: the body is accustomed to temperature changes, therefore, the weakening of the protective forces with at these moments does not occur, and the virus cannot "settle" in it, it dies.

Note! It is necessary to start any training and hardening from a minimum. A sharp load will not lead to an increase in immunity, but, on the contrary, to its weakening.

Walking and exercising in the fresh air as a preventive measure is one thing, but trying to harden during a period when the disease has already overtaken you is completely different.

Ideally, you should wait until the condition improves. In the meantime, you feel sick, you just need to open the window at home as often as possible. If it is cold outside, for those 15 minutes while the window is ajar, the sick person should retire to another room.

Walking with a cold is allowed under the following conditions:

• body temperature is normal;
• no weakness, no nausea;
• there is no strong cough;
• on the street there is no wind, rain, not frosty.

At the same time, reduce the load as much as possible: do not run, do not walk fast, reduce the walking time to 20-30 minutes. If flu or tonsillitis is diagnosed, and not a simple SARS, postpone walks until you are fully recovered. Reason: the body is very weakened, and if you get even a little cold or wet, the immune forces will not cope with the virus or bacteria, and the disease that has already subsided may return.

A healthy mind in a healthy body, says a Russian proverb. Let's agree with folk wisdom: only feeling healthy and physically strong, you can enjoy all the benefits of life and help those who need it. But, when starting classes, listen to the signals that your body sends you: if it needs rest, you need to give it such an opportunity. Only then physical education and sports will benefit!

To begin with, it is worth knowing what happens to the human body when he gets sick, but at the same time continues his sports activities? According to numerous studies, scientists were able to determine that intense physical exercise leads to a weakening of the state of the human body, and therefore you should not immediately go out into the cold in winter time, or located in places where there is a mass congestion of people. And this is when a person is in a normal state, healthy, without complaining about health. And if some kind of virus overtook him, then the immune system has to withstand much more serious stress than ordinary training. As a result of any cold, anabolic processes in the body decrease, and muscles are no exception, the production of the catabolic hormone cortisol, which destroys muscle tissue, increases.

A bit of theory

Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down proteins, including muscle, and also increases blood glucose and fat accumulation. Its production is facilitated by overwork of the body, stress, fear, exercise, starvation or illness. Surprisingly, this hormone is designed to help the body, in particular, by mobilizing nutrients and “necessary” substances. Thus, there is a breakdown of proteins to amino acids, and glycogen to glucose. Thanks to this, the body receives additional building materials, which helps it recover from a negative period for it, which is the case with an illness.

Knowing this, when you are sick and wondering if it is worth going to training with a cold, it is worth remembering how cortisol works, and the answer will be obvious. There is no point in training for a cold! Sports activities are not only deprived at this moment of any positive effects on human body, but they can also destroy his own muscles! But this still cannot be called the most terrible consequence of active sports in case of illness. "Look through" the Internet pages, where you will find a variety of articles on the rule "above the neck." For those who are not yet in the know, we inform you that the “above the neck” rule is as follows: “if the symptoms of the disease are above the neck (for example, a sore throat or a runny nose), then you can train!”. However, scientists have a different opinion on this matter.

As you know, the human lymphatic system is represented by special capillaries that are filled with lymph nodes and lymph, which is a liquid through which tissues remove harmful substances of decay and metabolism, various bacteria and toxins. As for the lymph nodes, they are represented by a collection of immune cells. Absolutely healthy person the lymph nodes are not visible, but when they increase and are felt on the neck, this is a signal that some pathological processes are going on in the body.

At hard workouts immunosuppressive effect - that is, immunity from them depresses. Playing sports with moderate intensity will not have a depressing effect on the immune system. Sometimes, on the contrary, they have a positive effect. Scientists have found that with a mild course of the disease, moderate loads in the form of cardio training with low intensity and moderate duration are safe. But heavy and intense training should be postponed until a full recovery. It should be noted that not all serious diseases are recognized on time - for example, the flu in the first hours looks like a simple cold, but playing sports during the flu is not very useful! Be also careful if you had to come into contact with a carrier of the virus and feel a slight malaise, then be sure to postpone intensive training and lie down at home until you get better!

When can I exercise after a cold?

It is strictly contraindicated to train at a temperature, intoxication, difficulty breathing, sore throat or exacerbation of tonsillitis! Another important point that needs to be taken into account is that in case of illness, the human body “tunes” catabolically – it needs energy to fight the disease. That is why there is a production of many stress hormones that scold the reserves of glycogen, protein, fat. Of course, you can forget about high-quality recovery after playing sports - another drawback of strength training.

It is also extremely important how severe the disease is, and indeed, whether you get sick or not get sick, to a greater extent depends on what your inner mood is. This can explain the so much successful marketing of cold remedies, which miraculously quickly cure colds, which usually go away easily on their own.

So is it good to play sports with a cold, or is it, on the contrary, dangerous? It may seem at first glance that this simple cold will not cause anything serious to the body, but when it is also bundled with intense training, then you can already seriously harm yourself! But when for a person sport has become such an integral element of his life that he does not want to miss at least one lesson, then he will be scared to think about skipping a workout for a week or even more! And then the disease! And thoughts arise in my head: “Is it worth skipping regular workouts because of an illness?

Is it possible to play sports during a cold

Any physical exercise always have a positive effect on the general well-being of a person and help his body more steadily counteract adverse manifestations environment. However, it turned out that this rule does not always work! There are times when it is worth giving up any physical activity on the body. And such moments happen with colds. Most people get colds 2-4 times a year, and according to the trend recent years it is noted that there are more and more people who are engaged in fitness every year, so this topic can be considered relevant.

When a person goes to the gym or starts running, he sets himself a specific goal - to become more attractive: lose weight, build muscle, pump up, etc. However, the subconscious dictates to us one more goal - to be healthy! Most likely, not everyone thinks about this when they start training, but it is not necessary, since it is built into the mind. And with a cold, sports activities have the exact opposite effect. To the question of whether it is possible to train with the flu, there is a categorically negative answer! Influenza is a type of SARS, but can have more serious consequences and complications. Influenza can be more severe, causing lethargy and high fever. And if the temperature has risen, then training is generally contraindicated so as not to cause complications to the kidneys, heart or lungs. Thus, you need to be extremely careful, and at the slightest sign of the flu, stop your activities and visit a doctor. In this case, it will be more useful than your favorite trainer.

And when the disease recedes, after three or four days you can start your regular sports. However, it is worth remembering that the load should be increased gradually, without rushing into the “pool with your head”. Don't exhaust your body with hard workouts. Your body will need at least another week to fully recover, so save your energy and help yourself get back into your usual workout routine.

It turns out that not always sports bring only health benefits. Remember how at school they received exemption from physical education after suffering a cold? This was done for a reason, because any infectious disease is a direct contraindication for sports activities.

During illness, the body mobilizes all available resources to fight the infection. If at this moment you expend energy on physical exercises, then you are actually stealing it from your own immune system. The recovery process in this case may be delayed; complications from the kidneys, heart, lungs and other internal organs. about any positive results training during this period is not necessary.

Of course, few people rush to the gym when they are sick - with a high fever, cough and runny nose. But why can't classes be resumed immediately after recovery?

Training during this period is a real stress for the body, because it is significantly weakened by the fight against infection. Need to give own body time to restore resources. The rehabilitation period is counted from the moment of recovery, that is, the complete elimination of the symptoms of the disease. Approximate recovery times:

• after suffering a sore throat - from 4 to 10 days;
• after influenza, SARS, bronchitis, indigestion and intestines - 6-8 days;
• after dysentery and pneumonia - 18 days;
• after acute rheumatic fever - 30 days.

These time frames are approximate, because it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the organism, the severity of the course of the disease and other factors. Exact dates can only be given by the attending physician.

In addition, you can not start training if there are foci of chronic infection. It would seem that diseases such as chronic tonsillitis, furunculosis or dental caries cannot serve as an obstacle to playing sports. In fact, by continuing to exercise, you run the risk of unexpected complications. The fact is that any physical activity significantly activates blood circulation; blood can wash out the infection from individual foci and spread throughout the body, which will lead to damage to other organs, primarily the heart and blood vessels.

Serious physical activity can complicate the course of any disease. Therefore, before starting sports activities, you need to make sure that your health is in order. Only then can positive results be expected.

Is it possible to play sports with angina - athletes and supporters ask this question active image life. Even after minor breaks, it is difficult to return to the previous pace of training. There is an opinion that light loads in diseases "above the neck" have a beneficial effect.

Tonsillitis is an acute infectious and inflammatory disease affecting the mucous membranes of the pharynx. Signs:

• body temperature 38 C;
• nasal congestion;
• sore throat;
• aches, weakness in muscles, joints;
• headache;
• general weakness;
• fast fatiguability;
• dysfunction of the digestive system (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea);
• chills;
• fever.

Doctors advise against physical activities in the acute period of angina. Additional load on a sick organism will lead to a deterioration in the patient's condition and increase the likelihood of developing complications from the heart, blood vessels, muscles, joints, and respiratory organs.

For therapeutic purposes, the patient is prescribed:

• antibacterial and antiviral treatment aimed at the destruction of pathogenic flora;
• symptomatic treatment: gargling, inhalation, taking antipyretics, immunostimulants and other drugs.
• special diet;
• abundant drinking regimen (warm water, herbal teas with honey and lemon, milk);
• bed rest, the observance of which will help to quickly cope with the disease, reduce the severity of symptoms, restore the forces spent on the fight against infectious agents.

Worth a visit gyms, dancing, pool, yoga and other physical activities until complete recovery. With heavy loads, the recovery function of the body will completely weaken, the recommended treatment will not bring the desired results.

Some doctors argue that light physical activity during a sore throat is not contraindicated. During this period, activity has a positive effect on the patient's body: it improves the condition, helps to more easily endure the symptoms of tonsillitis (nasal congestion, headaches), and strengthens the immune system. The main thing is not to visit public places to prevent infection of others.

Read also: Is it possible to have sex with the development of angina

The impact of sports on the body

Physical activity creates a special state in which the body stays during the training period after it, due to the recovery process. muscle fibers. After playing sports, the body is vulnerable, and sudden changes in temperature can cause a new disease.

During the acute period of the course of tonsillitis in the body, an increase in the synthesis of cortisol occurs. The hormone has a destructive effect on the muscular apparatus (destructs protein, muscle tissue cells).

Intensive production of cortisol improves the process of attraction nutrients, provides nutrition to cells, which is necessary for recuperation. Due to the destructive effect, cortisol, participating in the process of protein breakdown, synthesizes the amino acids necessary to restore the patient's immunity. The hormone promotes the production of glycogen (building material for organ tissues) from glucose.

Sports and temperature

Angina is the cause of poor health, weakness, fever, pain in the body, throat. Taken together, the signs of tonsillitis confine the patient to bed, which makes it impossible to play sports.

At a temperature above 38 C, accompanied by pain in the muscles, head, throat, a feeling of weakness, the patient feels exhausted. With such indicators, it is necessary to abandon the load and adhere to bed rest. If you do not follow the doctor's recommendations, do not bring down the temperature, a common sore throat can lead to serious complications, even death.

Under the ban are sports with a temperature of 37 C. This indicator is considered more dangerous, since it cannot be knocked down with antipyretic drugs. A temperature of 37 is a sign of the body's active struggle with pathogenic flora.

After the end of the treatment of tonsillitis, subfebrile temperature indicates the beginning of the development of complications or the re-development of angina - you must consult a doctor and follow therapeutic recommendations.

Above the neck rule

Athletes, supporters of an active lifestyle have a rule “above the neck”: loads are allowed for colds and other diseases if the clinical picture develops above the neck. Classes are allowed for headaches, nasal congestion, toothache, sore throat.

Attention! People who adhere to the rule claim that the minimum physical activity in diseases "above the neck" does not have a negative effect on the body, but on the contrary, it helps to quickly cope with unpleasant symptoms, strengthen the immune system.

Doctors do not share this opinion of athletes. The lymphatic system is responsible for fighting infectious agents. In a healthy person, the lymphatic vessels and nodes are in a normal state. With the penetration of pathogenic flora, the lymphatic system expands, which actively produces white blood cells to fight infection. With the flow of lymph, toxins, decay products of the vital activity of viruses, are removed from the body.

Read also: What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis

If a person goes in for sports during an illness, the lymphatic system directs forces to maintain the body during physical activity and does not perform the function of protecting against pathogenic microorganisms. The infection actively multiplies, spreading throughout the body. This can lead to a severe course of angina or the development of complications.

Sports after illness

You can return to physical activity after a complete recovery, confirmed by your doctor. You need to do sports after a sore throat with less intensity and reduce the time spent in the gym.

At the first lesson, it is important to monitor your well-being. If you feel unwell - stop training, restore strength at home without intense stress. If in the first 10 minutes of exercise you feel a surge of strength, energy, you can do it safely, increasing the load with each workout.

To restore strength after a sore throat, the body needs 2-4 weeks, subject to the doctor's recommendations regarding the intake of immunostimulating drugs, diet and other recommendations.

Sport as a prevention of angina

If you like to play sports, this is your profession, you rarely encounter infectious diseases or diseases are mild, physical activity:

1. Strengthens the musculoskeletal system - intensive training improves the flow of oxygen to tissues and changes their composition, improves metabolism, and reduces the risk of disease.
2. Strengthens nervous system and forms mental stability - the body is resistant to stress and negative environmental influences, which lead to a decrease in immunity.
3. Improves performance of cardio-vascular system- the heart muscle, vascular network is strengthened, good oxygen transportation is ensured, which has a beneficial effect on the body's defenses.
4. Improves organ function respiratory system- excellent prevention of diseases, due to an increase in lung capacity.
5. Improves metabolic processes - reduces the risk of endocrine disorders, overweight.
6. Strengthens the immune system, thanks to the normalization of the work of all organs.

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 it to go 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 immune system. But at the same time, high-intensity activities that involve lifting weights, or aerobic training have a negative effect on immunity during a cold or any other respiratory infection. Therefore, here it is necessary to feel the edge and be aware that one thing is superfluous strength exercise can add a few 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 transmission of the 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.