Swimming "compromised"

I have always swam unless I was severly under the weather (usually a stomach flu). By swimming every day I can I must say that a head cold tends to be all I have to deal with. When I am not feeling well I do tend to make it more of a recovery day workout, than a quality/intense workout. In my younger days I could remember having the flu and shaking down the thermometer so my mom would let me swim in an upcoming meet. Yes I still was running a fever over 100 the day of the meet but after the meet (not one of my better ones) I no longer was running a fever and felt alot better after. It may have also helped that the pool was on the cooler side and could have been all I needed to get rid of the fever. Donna

Helpful thread since I just had a cold. I also had to finish up a project so that cut into my time/energy for swimming or running in a big way. Actually, though, I think needing to finish my project kept me still and probably got me through this cold sooner than might have happened otherwise. I still did some light exercise, just some walking/easy running, a little easy swimming, but nothing much. Today I did a lighter workout also, and felt as if I could have done a good deal more, which I took to be a good sign. I'll pick up the schedule again this week, but here's a question to follow up Redbird's... If you cut back or took time off for, say, a week, how quickly did you return to your regular workout schedule? A week ago yesterday, I struggled through a one-hour practice, constantly feeling as if I was going to have to stop, and was very slow a lot of the time. Today, I shortened the two hour practice to a little over an hour, took things easier, and felt pretty good, but obviously want to get the yards back up again. Happy New Year, all!

If you cut back or took time off for, say, a week, how quickly did you return to your regular workout schedule? Great question. For me, it takes a little over a week. For some reason, the first week back is a struggle against the demons that got me out of my practice rythm in the first place. Since I swim alone about half the time, that makes the demon voices even louder!

I have always swam unless I was severly under the weather (usually a stomach flu). Donna Yeah that knocked the stuffing out of me this weekend. Although it was mild food poisioning...similar symptomns. Unless you're coughing and spluttering you're porbably OK. I was debating today and decided to go but my pool is closed. However, I now feel a bit weary again so perhaps it is better I rested more. I must say since swimming (Oct) I really haven't been too ill at all; a sniffle or two but nothing beyond a runny nose for a day or so.

Having the sniffles seems to be my steady state since I started swimming again, so unless I feel too ill to drive to the pool, I'm there.

Sometimes I feel sorta lazy, try to figure out if I have a cold or not. Usually going to the swimming practice will be better than not. I don't think swimming will make any health condition worse. Couple of thoughts: viruses are transmitted almost entirely by mouth-hand, hand-hand, and then hand-mouth again. The actual air-air transmission is pretty rare unless you breathe into a sneeze. So I wouldn't worry about getting a virus in a swimming pool environment or transmitting a virus same way. Healthy 2007! billy fanstone

I have hreard it is OK to workout if your symptoms are above the neck,but if you have a productive cough,GI symptoms or feel toxic don't workout. I read in a study of age groupers that those who took up to a week off with cold symptoms did better than those who kept swimming,that the time off didn't hurt them but the ones who kept swimming were sicker longer on average.

It is my understanding that these illnesses are most contagious just before the symptoms appear. This means that you are doing more harm to your swim buddies by swimming with them before you even know that you are sick than swimming with them as you recover from a cold. My advice? Don't worry about it. Wash your hands regularly. Keep your hands out of your face and eyes. Enjoy life.

I have hreard it is OK to workout if your symptoms are above the neck,but if you have a productive cough,GI symptoms or feel toxic don't workout. I read in a study of age groupers that those who took up to a week off with cold symptoms did better than those who kept swimming,that the time off didn't hurt them but the ones who kept swimming were sicker longer on average. I have heard this as well. I have not been sick for 3 years, but I know if I had a cough, I would not swim, and same with my daughter, if she is coughing a lot. Just stuffed up nose, swimming actually loosens it. It also depends on if I or she has been sleeping well. Sometimes with a cold, you can't sleep, and I think exercising on a sick, tired body does not help it one bit. I listen to what my body tells me. I am such an avid exerciser, if it tells me no, I don't because I know I will be back at it soon enough.

I agree with Allen and you Dorothy. If it's in your chest...it's better to rest. It's loosening so hopefully thursday at latest and I can get back in the pool. I don't want pneumonia. Nope you don't that is what I had 3 years ago. I was out of the pool 3 months recovering.