Exercising while sick

Immunology and Exercise: Science & Common Sense

It’s the time of year when goals are made and determination is renewed. We all hit the gym excited and overzealous to make this the best fitness year ever. It’s also wintertime, though; the time of year when people spread germs, get sick, run fevers, and lose progress or motivation to achieve their fitness goals. There are numerous factors that go into how likely you are to get sick, your fitness and exercise being a couple of them, and a bunch of super sciencey physiological things, too. In an effort to help you achieve your goals with fewer bumps along the way, it helps to have some understanding of how training affects your immune system and what you can do to avoid getting sick this winter.