Can I train with a sore throat?
The decision of whether or not to work out can depend on a number of factors, from the weather outside to the traffic on the roads. One thing that can have a big impact on your desire and ability to work out is your health, and it’s important to know when it’s safe to exercise and when it’s too risky.
In this blog, we explore the considerations around training while feeling under the weather.
Can I work out with a sore throat?
Sore throats are a common minor ailment, and in most cases they are nothing to worry about.[1] Nevertheless, they can be frustrating to experience and they can impact your day considerably. Nobody wants to feel unwell for long, so it’s natural to want to do whatever’s necessary to speed up your recovery – but what does that mean when you have a sore throat?
Naturally, it depends on the kind of illness you have. For minor ailments such as the common cold, you may be fine to continue with mild to moderate exercise. If you have something that impacts your health more seriously, then it may be better to avoid exercise until you’re feeling better. In some cases, it may make sense to reduce the intensity of your workout in order to get the best of both worlds – take it easier while you’re unwell, but still get the benefits of moving your body.
The decision becomes more complex if you have a chronic or long-term condition. In such cases, having a minor illness can compound your symptoms and affect you worse than the same illness would someone else – so you need to be more careful when it comes to pushing yourself with exercise. If this affects you, it’s a good idea to speak with your healthcare team about working out to get some tailored guidelines you can follow to help you make your choice.[2]
The ‘neck check’
If you don’t have any underlying conditions to consider, then a simple guideline that may help you to decide whether or not to work out is the ‘neck check’. This involves considering the location of your symptoms – if they are above the neck, then you’re usually fine to work out, while if your symptoms are below the neck, then you should avoid exercise until you’re feeling better.
For example, if you have a runny nose or a throat infection, then your symptoms are located above the neck and you should be okay to work out. Alternatively, if you have a stomach ache, that is classed as a below-the-neck symptom and so you should avoid working out.
Of course, there is nuance to be applied here. The neck check is a guideline – if it suggests that you should be fine to exercise but you don’t feel well enough, then you should of course avoid exercising until you feel better. It can also be a good idea to get the advice of a doctor or pharmacist if you’re really not sure.[3]
Another thing to consider is whether or not your above-the-neck symptoms can be alleviated or eased. For example, if you have a sore throat, you may be able to relieve it with the help of medicated treatments such as Chloralieve Honey and Lemon Throat Lozenges, which contain anaesthetic and antiseptic compounds to tackle throat pain. You shouldn’t use these while exercising, but you can take them before a workout to soothe your throat.
At the end of the day, it’s your decision whether or not to work out when you’re not feeling your best. If you’re in doubt as to whether you’re well enough to exercise, the best option is to avoid working out until you feel better – or at least to reduce the intensity of your exercise so it takes a lesser toll on your body.
Resources:
[1] – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sore-throat/
[2] – https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/pain/ways-to-manage-chronic-pain/
[3] – https://www.lung.org/blog/can-you-exercise-with-a-cold
