Angela Pea's Tip of the Week

Hey Chickies! Many of us - or our kids - have been sick during the past few weeks with the stomach virus going around or with our annual autumn colds. I thought I would offer this up as my tip of the week, you know, just to be helpful. I'm also avoiding my own workout as I sit here with a fever and feeling all achy and run over by a truck. Thank you, DirtBike, My Favorite Youngest Son, for sharing your germs with me.

Many of us are working our tails off trying to shed the body clutter and reclaim our health. So what should we do when illness and exercise collide? I wondered myself, so I did two things. Checked out info over at MayoClinic.com and called my Nurse Practitioner. They both said the same thing.

As a rule of thumb for exercise and illness:

• It's okay to work out if your symptoms are "above the neck" — such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or sore throat. Be prepared to reduce the intensity of your workout if needed, however.
• Postpone your exercise if your symptoms are "below the neck" — such as chest congestion, hacking cough or upset stomach.
• Don't exercise at all if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches. (Gentle stretching is okay to help relieve the muscle aches.)Mild to moderate physical activity is usually okay if you have a cold but no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by temporarily relieving nasal congestion.

If you choose to exercise when you're sick, listen to your body. If your symptoms get worse with physical activity, stop and rest. Yes, rest. Your body is an amazing machine with self-healing super powers, but it needs rest to do its work. So if you feel like crud, don't go running! Resume your workout routine gradually as you begin to feel better.

Stay Healthy. Keep the Faith.