Workouts For Moms when you are not feeling so so good, but are worried about breaking the fat loss progress you have made?
“What’s the best way to stay fit when I am sick?”
“What can I do to make up for lost time?”
“What the best workout for moms strategy to help me get back on track?”
First and MOST Important is that you know that it is absolutely fine to take time off from your workout plan when you are sick.
REST is the #1 prescription when it comes to recovering from whatever sickness you may be fighting. Nutrition is #2 and I’ll cover that one in a moment.
If you have a bout with that notorious bug that seems to make its way around quite quickly, do not fall prey to the pressure to try to workout during this time or make up for time that is lost because of it. Taking this approach will only cause more harm than good.
Just like it is not one meal or one missed workout that causes the damage, a couple days of being ill will not cause you to go back to square one.
First I’ll state the obvious.
Do Not Workout If:
* You have a fever
* You feel nauseous
* You are highly contagious
Your body needs the rest.
Trying to workout may only cause you feel worse. Your immune system is working overtime trying to get you better – it will be counterproductive to put your immune system under stress from exercise and may prolong your illness.
It is a myth that you can “sweat out the germs and toxins”. Low levels of exercise increase endorphins and benefit your body, but an intense workout that creates high levels of endorphins can wear down your immune system.
If you just have a minor cold – it is okay to go through your workout, at a less intense pace. Doing so will help you to feel better and allow you to breath easier for it will help to open up your nasal passages.
Wait at least one to two days after you are over the worst of it, then…
1. Engage in a light workout.
The purpose here is to EASE back in to your normal workouts. Do not expect to go all out at this point. I would suggest choosing to start off with a less intense version of your intervals or a modified resistance training workout. If either of these options includes jumping, you may wish to find a substitute.
Options may look like:
Intervals – instead of a normal 1 min. low/1 min. high, choose to perform 2 minutes low, 1 minute high but all variables are less intense than your regular interval session. This may extend your time spent and that is okay. No need to go past 20 minutes….remember the goal is to EASE back into your routine.
Workouts For Moms Resistance Training Workout – you have a couple options here. Depending on your fitness level and how you are feeling, you may choose to complete a beginner level, body weight based workout.
You may choose to go through the workout once. So instead of completing 3 super sets, you just complete one set of each exercise taking sufficient time between each for rest as needed.
You may choose to pick 2-4 exercises within your workout and complete 2-3 super sets.
Afterward you can judge how you are feeling to see if you are up to a light interval session.
2. Make sure you have something to eat.
This needs to be stated, for when we are sick, our appetite diminishes, but our body needs the fuel, not just to go through a light workout, but to also help your body to recover from being ill. Make sure you eat something light at least an hour before hand.
3. Stay Hydrated: Before, during and after.
This is VERY important when doing Workouts For Moms when you may be under the weather!
Fevers burn up body fluids and you lose extra water and fluids from your skin, lungs and digestive tract if it is infected with intestinal germs. This concern is doubled if you have been unable to keep anything down.
You will lose even more body fluids during a workout when you sweat. So when you are recovering from an illness and you begin to workout again, it is common for your thirst reflex goes on the blink, and very easy to forget to drink.
4. LISTEN To Your Body! Stop if you feel light headed or nauseated – do not attempt to to keep going.
5. Take some extra time to cool down.
At the end of your workout, factor in some time to take a leisurely walk or work in some light stretching.
Bottom Line….Take CARE of yourself and Listen to your body!
What To Eat
As far as nutrition goes…..while there is not a lot we can do in terms of exercise while we are sick, we have 100% control over the foods we choose to eat.
This is the perfect time to fill your body with good broth based soups and fresh juices filled with only natural goodness to help accelerate your recovery.
What about my results?
Good News!
Your progress will not be hindered by a few days off from your regularly challenging workouts and your consistent nutrition plan. Getting sick is a VERY normal set back and you WILL bounce back easily if you choose to follow these guidelines.
Give it a couple days and once you get your energy and strength back you’ll feel great and want to exercise again. Many of us find a whole new drive after taking this time to recover. Just be sure you give yourself the time and the nutrients to recover and you will be back on track before you know it!
Just know that it will soon pass and you will not have lost any of the progress you have made – instead you will come back stronger and more eager than ever to move ahead!!
So that is how to stay fit when you are sick!
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Holly, thanks for the timely post. We, too, have been dealing with sickness for a couple of weeks in our household. It has definitely gotten me off track (I am ashamed to say) but thank you for your common sense suggestions and encouragement. Get well! Sharron
Hi, quick question, what are the active ingredients of coldeeze?
I am traveling so did not keep the package…
http://www.coldeeze.com/
dear marisa..feel the same.Tried so many
diets. Maybe start with Holly`s food? Ingrid
Hi Holly – Thanks! I have taken the last week off to try to get better and, although not completely well, I’m ready to try getting back to my workouts. What you suggested is exactly what I was thinking so good to know I’m on the right track.
Hope you all feel better soon, too!
Mandy
Holly,
Great advice.
If you also take oregano it will bust your immune system up greatly.
If you are already sick take it three times a day and if not one time a day.
It is great!
Even kids can take it. Since it is hot, get the liquid and put one drop in some juice and then give them a cracker to take away the burn feel. Works wonders.
Take care.
Melinda
This post was definitely for me! I feel like i have been constantly sick since my little one went to kindy and have fallen way way off the track…thanks for the post Holly..
I hope you are feeling better soon, Holly. Sorry to hear that you have the nasty cold bug too. Take care of yourself.
Smart advice Holly
Love to practice exercises that align my posture after illness with a focus on stability.
Hope you all feel better soon!
Thanx for the info. Holly.You have it all covered for us. Sorry to know about yr cold and hope u get better fast.
Cold-Eeze is good, zinc-based. But Zicam is liquid based and doesn’t contain the sugars. It’s aerosol or gel, way more effective than the zinc lozenges from Cold-Eeze especially if you are worried about children choking while coughing or sneezing. Zicam in our opinion is just as excellent as Cold-Eeze. Sucking on lozenges gives me cold sores, so I like the squirt that is more effective. I can squirt my kids (don’t swallow for 30 seconds!) and they are done, whereas they got tired of lozenges when they were sick. Those are both great products and we swear by them.
Be careful with the Zicam. Use of Zinc in the nasal/sinus passages will actually reduce/eliminate your sense of smell. How much will cause these side affects? I don’t know, but you may be able to do the research and find out. As far as I am concened, I would rather stay away than risk depleted sense of smell, since a majority of “taste” is actually smell.
Thanks Holly. These reminders were just what I needed as I struggle with this head/chest cold I’ve had all week. Hoping it passes soon! I haven’t seen the coldeeze before but I keep Zicam on hand for my son. That and mucinex seem to be about the only cold remedies that work for him. So far nothing has worked for me.
Vit A keeps the mucus membranes heatlhy. Any infection, viral or bacterial, uses Vit A at a rapid pace, so I take five imes as much for a few days. Add some D and E to protect the A in the body. C then can be added without using so much that is harms teeth and such.
As for school, especially before age 10: Research done in the early-to-mid 1900′s shows that young children need adults a lot more then they need other children. Most adults today can teach letter/sound recognition, language skillls (talk to the child as you do simple tasks and let the child help–even if it slows you down.) libraries are full of history and science books. I bought varied beans and showd my daughter to sort and count them at the kitchen table. Multiplicatin tables are a snap after this exercise. A child learns well from a Mother who invites him/her into her own life. Neighbors/church provide good same/near-same-age interactions; and, in many cultures, Moms often get together at a park or a home for children study/play dates and some adult conversations and activities.
Holly, what a great post! I have used Cold-FX for the past year and have not had one cold. Now, this is amazing, because I was always catching every cold around before this. It is made in Canada, all natural, and I don’t know if it is the placebo affect or not, but I have honestly fought off every threat of colds this year. Please check it out. We got ours from Amazon, but you can find it on E-Bay. I first got it when Wal-mart was closing it out for cheap and just thought I would try it and WOW I love it!! I should own stock in it! You don’t take it all the time, just when you feel something coming on. Check it out. However, it will not prevent the stomach flu, sad to say, our whole family got that early in the year and your suggestions are very welcome, thanks again. Annette
HI Holly,
I am so excited that I have been really focusing on nutrition since I have been sick for the last few weeks. I have lost several pounds by following your suggestions in your daily emails BEFORE I would have resorted to comfort foods since I couldn’t work out.
Baby steps towards my goal!!! It is in sight!!!
Thank you for the post, touch wood so far I haven’t got sick since i start FYM training 1st March 2010. Anyway, is it ok to do workouts during period(red day)? lol.
Maureen,
Yes, but it all depends on your energy levels,. At the start, you may want to engage in less intense exercise.