Is Exercising When You're Sick Safe Or Can It Help? Experts Weigh In.

Maybe you've heard that sweating might help you beat your cold faster, or maybe you just don't want to skip training. Here's the truth.

Questions about the safety of working out when sick with an upper respiratory infection are a common concern, according to doctors. Many folks pressure themselves to exercise even when they aren’t feeling 100% well — or hope a good workout will help sweat out their illness. (Spoiler alert: It won’t.)

It is frustrating when a cold or seasonal virus disrupts your weekly workout plan, especially if you’re training for a competition or race. So what can you do if you have the sniffles? Here’s what to know:

If your symptoms are mild and above the neck, you’re likely OK to work out.

“Generally speaking, it’s probably safe to exercise if you only have symptoms above the neck ... like nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat,” said Elizza Gollub, a nurse practitioner at the health care service One Medical.

“There is evidence suggesting that moderate exercise doesn’t cause a mild cold to last longer or cause cold symptoms to be more severe, which is reassuring in those cases,” Gollub added.