As Tannys mentioned in some earlier posts, I was sick this week. Unfortunately, this impacted my training and I did not work out all week...
Working out around illness and injury is a tricky subject that we will all struggle with at some point. I'll share my thoughts on both topics.
Illness
A common rule for working out when sick, is that it is permissible if your symptoms are from the neck up (e.g. sore throat, congested nose, etc.). However, if you have symptoms from the neck down (e.g. fever, aches, chest congestion, etc.), you are best advised to avoid exercise until you have recovered.
Personally, I am more cautious when I am sick. If I am legitimately feeling unwell (even with symptoms above the neck), then I will not workout. In my experience, a workout is a source of stress on the body, which is already devoting its energy to fighting off an infection. Although a short bout of stress can sometimes kick-start the immune system, I find that a full workout is too physically draining and will make me feel worse (and may even prolong the illness).
When I am sick, I generally feel pretty rotten and it would be hard to devote sufficient energy and attention to completing a good workout. Likewise, I would not want to do a mediocre workout, just to say that I had... I would rather rest up and focus on getting better, so that I can get back into my workouts and give them 100%.
Not working out for a full week was really difficult. Beyond feeling miserable, I felt envious seeing Tannys working out. Realizing this, I tried to keep positive, stay supportive of Tannys' workouts, and spent time figuring out what I would do in my first workout back, getting myself psyched up for the inevitable return to my training. That definitely helped motivate me and it was great to have something to look forward to, rather than focusing on the negative!
Injury
The first thing a physician (being married to one!) will tell you, is that you need to get your injury properly assessed by a medical professional.
I have injured myself multiple times throughout my life, including during training. Injuries are inevitable in the long run, especially if you train hard. During a workout, if I injure myself (e.g. strain a muscle), I will stop what I am doing to assess the injury.
I think an honest self appraisal is critical here. If you cannot do this, then you should err on the side of caution and get a proper medical assessment of your injury. When I have injured myself, after stopping and determining that it is not a severe injury requiring immediate assessment or treatment, I will modify my workout to accommodate it. How can you modify your workout? Some things that have worked for me include selecting different exercises, as well as limiting the amount of weight that I am lifting.
I may also modify the workout itself, to do less and avoid stressing the injured muscle more. At the end of the workout, I have found it helpful to slowly and carefully stretch out the injured area, followed by proper injury care (e.g. R.I.C.E. immediately afterwards and then heat after 24 hours).
If your injury is severe (and/or if it is not simple and muscular in nature), then you definitely need to get it properly assessed and treated. I have had more serious injuries (e.g. severe ankle sprain where you're in a brace), which can really derail your training for a longer period of time. In this type of situation, what I've done is to modify my overall training. For example, if I had a lower body injury, I would carefully select my exercises to accommodate it, or if that was not possible, I would use that as an opportunity to focus on my upper body.
On the other hand, you can roll with the punches, focus on your recovery, modify your routine where possible, and get back in the game as soon as you're able to. By keeping positive and adopting this approach, you'll keep your head in the game, you won't lose much time, and then you will be back on track, giving it 100%, as you strive towards your goals!
- Alex
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