Is It Safe To Exercise With A Cold?

Exercise is always beneficial, but should you work out with a cold? Here's a breakdown of which workouts might be okay and how to play them safe.

Symptoms of a cold

When you catch a cold, your nose and throat bear the brunt of a viral invasion^1a, and symptoms usually show up 1-3 days after encountering the virus, varying from one person to the next^1b. You might have a runny or stuffy nose, headaches, muscle aches, coughing, a scratchy throat, and a slight fever^1c. On average, a healthy adult might catch a cold 2-3 times a year^1d.

The cold timeline

 A cold typically unfolds in four stages:^1e 

1.      Incubation period: This is the gap between catching the virus and the start of symptoms. It can be as brief as 12 hours or stretch up to three days.

2.      Symptom onset: Symptoms start and peak within the first 1-3 days.

3.      Remission: Symptoms begin to ease after the third day.

4.      Recovery: While mild symptoms might linger, you'll generally start feeling better.

Cold symptoms hang around for about a week to ten days for most healthy adults^1f. However, if symptoms persist or worsen (fever, trouble breathing, or wheezing), consult a health care professional^1g.

The benefits of exercising

Working out can be a big win for your immune system, potentially reducing your chances of getting upper respiratory infections such as colds^2a. Just half an hour of moderate exercise, five times a week can do the trick^2b.

Here's why it works: exercising gets certain hormones flowing – adrenaline and noradrenaline, which you might have heard of. These hormones give our immune system a nudge, helping it spot and tackle viruses quicker^2c.

Exercise also gets your blood pumping, which keeps you fit and wakes up some key immune cells that hang out in your blood vessels, ready to fight off invaders like viruses^2d.

And there's more! Regular exercise helps your body heal small wounds faster, reducing the chance for germs to sneak in^2e.

Exercising when you have a cold

If you're feeling up to it – and all your symptoms are from the neck up, like a slight sore throat, sniffles, or a stuffy nose – it's generally fine to get in a light workout so long as you reduce the intensity or duration^3a.

If you're dealing with symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, or a chesty cough, it's a sign your body is hard at work battling an infection and really needs some downtime^.3b. Think of it this way: a fever means your body is already in high gear trying to heal, so adding exercise to the mix just piles on more stress^3c. When you're ready to get moving again post-recovery, take it slow⁴.

Give pain the red card with Compral®

Don't let pain associated with colds hold you back this winter! Turn to Compral® for targeted⁵ and fast⁶ pain relief. Available in both tablet and powder form, Compral® is ready to work in just 10 seconds⁷.

Compral® tablets are great for fast and targeted relief from pain, fever, and inflammation, while Compral® Powders are designed to tackle muscle and joint pain, body aches, period discomfort, toothache, and pesky headaches, giving you a comprehensive solution for your specific pain needs.

Embrace the Adcock Ingram Winter Warrior within!

The Adcock Ingram Range offers you a range of brands that can help keep symptoms at bay, such as Panado®, Cepacol®, Compral®, and ViralGuard™, available from Pick n Pay, Checkers including Hypers, Shoprite, Clicks, Dis-Chem, and independent pharmacies.

For more information about Adcock Ingram Winter Warriors, visit  https://adcockwinterwarriors.co.za/ and for more information about Compral®, www.compralpainrelief.co.za and join the conversation on Facebook.

References:

1. BODYFIT. EXERCISING WITH SYMPTOMS OF A COLD: SHOULD YOU DO IT? Available from: https://www.bodyandfit.com/en-gb/advice/training/exercise-during-cold-flu. Last accessed February 2024.
2. The Conversation. Exercising while sick won't help you get over a cold faster – but it may prevent your next one. Available from: https://theconversation.com/exercising-while-sick-wont-help-you-get-over-a-cold-faster-but-it-may-prevent-your-next-one-179803. Last accessed February 2024.
3. NYU Langone Health. When It's Safe to Exercise After Getting Sick. Available from: https://nyulangone.org/news/when-its-safe-exercise-after-getting-sick. Last accessed February 2024.
4. American Heart Association. Is it OK to exercise when you're sick? Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/01/13/is-it-ok-to-exercise-when-youre-sick. Last accessed February 2024.
5. Diener HC, Pfaffenrath V, Pageler L, et al. The fixed combination of acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine is more effective than single substances and dual combination for the treatment of headache: a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, single-dose, placebo-controlled parallel group study. Cephalalgia 2005;25:776–787. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2982.2005.00948.
6. Weiser T, Weigmann H. Effect of Caffeine on the Bioavailability and Pharmacokinetics of an Acetylsalicylic Acid-Paracetamol Combination: Results of a Phase I Study. Adv Ther 2019;36:597-607. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-019-0891-5.
7. Compral pain powder dissolution evaluation. Document no. 23/AD/063.

For full prescribing information refer to the Professional Information approved by SAHPRA. Adcock Ingram Limited. Co. Reg. No.: 1949/034385/06. Private Bag X69, Bryanston, 2021, South Africa. Customer Care: 0860 ADCOCK / 232625. www.adcock.com. 220240228105037. February 2024.