By Bea Potter

When you’re feeling ill, it’s easy to slack when it comes to the food you’re eating and the amount of exercise you can do. Maybe you stop going to the gym or doing your home workouts, and perhaps you’ve lost your appetite, or start snacking and comfort eating.

While not awful, it can completely throw your habits, which makes it so much harder to get back into the flow of things when you’re better and can make you feel so much worse while you’re still ill. To help you maintain your flow and healthy habits, here’s my guide with everything you need to know when exercising and eating well while ill.

Is it Safe to Exercise While Ill?

Simply put, yes, it’s perfectly safe to exercise while ill, and in most cases, it can actually be beneficial to do so. Getting your blood pumping, your heart rate going faster, and your body moving can do so much more than just lying in bed, but this does depend on your personal situation.

For example, if you’re suffering from a cold or a light flu, increasing your heart rate and stimulating your circulation can be a great idea because it can help antibodies go around your body, and can help you release some of the fluids.

However, if you’re suffering from migraines, dizziness, or shortness of breath, these situations could be made worst with exercising, so you’ll want to start with something light to see where your limits are. You don’t want to make yourself pass out or have an accident.

Learn what’s good for you.

The Basics of Exercising When Ill

There are a few core principals you’re going to need to follow when it comes to working out and being ill. The first, and easily the most important, is the need to stay hydrated. Your body thrives on water at its peak and needs even more when ill.

The second is that you don’t want to do anything too vigorously. Going for a 10km run is properly not the best idea, and you’re only going to make yourself feel worse and more tired. Instead, aim to do smaller, lighter exercises that still stimulate you, but not too hard.

Some of the light exercises and activities you could do here include walking, light jogging, swimming, yoga, tai chi, and riding a bicycle. When I say riding a bicycle, that doesn’t mean you’re trying to set the land speed record, but rather going to the shops or going around the block.

Maintain Healthy Eating Habits

Nobody feels like cooking when they’re ill, especially if you can’t be bothered, or have next-to-no appetite, which means you can quickly see your diet take a wrong turn. The thing to remember here is to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and to keep yourself in check. The healthier the food you can eat, the quicker you’re going to get better.

If you don’t feel like eating much, try and stick to basics like soup, toast, and fruit. Also, try and stick to your core three meals a day, and avoid anything too fatty, too sweet, or too sickly. There’s no need to rush with trying to maintain your diet plan. Just take things slow and steady and let your body build up its strength again.

Can You Sweat Out Your Illness?

There’s a common statement going around and has done for years, that if you can exercise, you can ‘sweat out’ your illness and get better quicker. The truth is that this is only kind-of true. Hand in hand with what we said above, if you’re moving and have a cold, you can release a lot of fluids that are building up, and this can help you feel better.

However, this isn’t actually going to cure you, more just help speed things up. Again, if you’re doing exercise that’s too strenuous, this is only going to make you feel worst.

Be Aware of Others

If you’re ill, it’s probably best to avoid going to the gym because germs can travel far and fast. If you’re using workout machines, you’re only going to put your germs on there and make everyone else who uses them ill, and you wouldn’t want people to do it for you.

Try to stick with home exercising, like going for a run in your local area, or using equipment at home. It’s okay to miss a couple of sessions to stop the spread of the illness.

Bea Potter is lifestyle specialist and blogger at Custom College Paper and Dissertation Services. She enjoys reading and writing on different aspects of wellbeing at Essay help Perth and helping others be the best they can while achieving their goals and living the lives they want to live.