With everyone’s New Year’s resolutions to get fit and
healthy hopefully still in place, I thought I’d give a little insight into when
one should not exercise. Despite all my efforts to encourage individuals to
keep active, there are times when a little rest is more important.
·
Illness – currently
on an anti-biotic or anything related to the chest. If you have a fever or
are on an anti-biotic, this means you have an infection. Your body does not
need the additional stress of exercise on top of fighting off the infection. Exercise
increases both your heart rate and breathing rate, putting additional strain on
the lungs, which is unnecessary and not advised if you have a chest cold or
infection.
·
Injury and
been told by a practitioner to rest. Often with acute injuries, one is told
to rest the affected limb. However, you can still train your arms if you have
injured your ankle, for example. You only need to rest the injured limb.
·
Overtraining
– symptoms of overtraining:
o
Exhausted instead of energized after exercise
o
Get sick easily
o
Feel down
o
Unable to sleep
o
Extreme tiredness
o
Mood changes – short temper
o
Extreme muscle fatigue and soreness
Take a break from the gym for a
week or so to give your body a chance to recover.
·
Recent
concussion – you must have clearance from your doctor before you
participate in any exercise or sporting activity following a head injury.
·
Recent
asthma attack – you may need to adjust your exercise routine to allow your
lungs to recover from the attack.
Your immune system resistance decreases with stress, which
includes the stress of exercise. Therefore, you are likely to get sicker or
simply keep getting sick if you train while you are not well, as your immune
resistance is already low. The bottom line is: if you don’t feel well, take it
easy. Rather get completely better and then go back to training.
If you suffer from a chronic illness or injury, consult a
Biokineticist to assist you in prescribing appropriate exercises to maintain
your fitness and manage your condition.
References
