An average adult usually gets two to three upper respiratory infections each year. We are exposed to bacteria all day long, but some people seem more susceptible to catching the bug. One of the most irritating diseases for a body builder is the common cold. The following factors have all been associated with impaired immune function and increased risk of catching colds.
a) old age
b) cigarette smoking
c) stress
d) poor nutrition
e) fatigue and lack of sleep
f) overtraining
Now, lets get on to the required facts in detail...
1) Just because you have a cold doesn't mean you have to completely neglect your training. Or does it?
DONT NEGLECT YOUR WORKOUT COMPLETELY:
Many athletes wonder if they should continue their training routine when sick. While research is limited, most experts recommend that if your symptoms are above the neck and you have no fever, exercise is probably safe. Intensive exercise should be postponed until a few days after the symptoms have gone away. However, if there are symptoms or signs of the flu, such as fever, extreme tiredness, muscle aches, swollen lymph glands, then at least two weeks should probably be allowed before you resume intensive training.
If it is the common cold that is hitting you and the particular virus is mild (you know that it is mild when your symptoms are just a runny nose and slight coughing), you may get away with training as long as you stop the sets short of reaching muscular failure and you decrease the weights poundage?s by 25 percent (divide the weights that you usually use by 4 and that will give you the amount of weight that you need to take off the bar) in order to prevent you from pushing too hard. Again, if the cold virus is causing you to feel run down, achy, with a sore throat and headaches, it would be best to stop training all together, until the symptoms subside. If this is the case, just follow these exercise program start-up recommendations for three weeks:
a) During the first week, slowly start your weight training program with light weights, do not reach failure and push yourself too hard.
b) The next week you?ll repeat what you did on the previous week again, but pushing yourself closer to muscular failure.
c) By the third week of your program you should be back on track.
2) What is the best workout when you have the common cold?
DESIGNING A WORKOUT:
Well, you?re the one who knows what workout your body adapts even when you have cold or not. Design a routine that don?t kill you. Just remember that we do not want to make it any harder for the immune system to fight the virus by introducing more catabolic activity, so intense training is not suggested during this time. I would personally workout mainly using dumbbells that I can handle during the situation. Last time when I got a cold, this was the workout that I done-
Monday & Thursday:
Dumbbell bench press- 2 x 10-12
Dumbbell shoulder press- 2 x 10-12
One-arm dumbbell triceps extension- 2 x 15-20
Tuesday & Friday:
One-arm dumbbell rows- 2 x 10-12
Dumbbell curls- 2 x 10-12
Dumbbell step ups- 2 x 15-20
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday: Complete rest.
This was good for me at that time. Like wise, you should listen to your body and act accordingly. No one can design a workout routine for cold to you. That's the point.
3) How much can a cold effect your training?
Our training can be very much affected by cold. The main effect cold can cause is de-hydration, which can seriously affect our muscles and training. During a cold one cannot be able to stick to their workout routine and diet. Even if you workout, you cannot lift well due to the irritations. Also, if your training partner who is an enthusiastic body builder comes to know that you?re sick, naturally he creeps away from you. And with no one to help in this irritating situation, your training will turn out to be a disaster. And you will definitely feel it?s probably better to sleep at home.
4) How can one get rid of a cold quickly?
TIPS TO GET RID OF COLD QUICKLY:
a) Rest and recuperate
You need to rest up for a day or two if you get a bad cold and try not to do too much. If you do rest up, you will recover quicker and not leave yourself open to getting secondary illnesses when your immune system is taking a battering. If you have to work then make sure you get adequate sleep, rest and take things as gently as possible.
b) Feed your cold
Make sure you feed your cold. Get plenty of goodness to help boost your body and get plenty of vitamin C and B. It?s also important to replace fluid, as fighting colds dehydrates you and mucus is water. So drink plenty of water or juice.
c) Gargle
Try honey, lemon and ginger as a great combination to gargle and drink. Honey is very soothing on the throat, lemon contains lots of vitamin C and ginger has been used for thousands of years for its potent anti inflammatory qualities. Do this several times a day when you have your cold and it?s an instant feel good drink.
d) Clear and warm your head
Put your head over a streaming bowl of water. When you inhale steam it thins mucus and your head will feel cleaner as a result. When you feel better your immune system cranks up a gear and fights harder.
e) Blow your nose gently
Don?t blow so hard you feel dizzy! When you blow your nose some mucus will go back in the sinuses. Colds make them full anyway and when more goes back in you are open to sinusitis. If you blow too hard you clear the nose but if it dries out to much, it triggers the body to produce more mucus which is exactly what you don?t need. So blow gently.
5) Bonus Question: Prevention - What can you do at the gym to keep from spreading and/or contracting viruses like the common cold?
Many people hit the gym in search of bigger muscles, smaller waists and to build up cardiovascular strength. Putting time in at the gym is supposed to make you healthier, right? Not necessarily. If you are not careful, going to the gym can cause unexpected illness. The gym can be a hot bed for germs and it is an ideal place for fungi and viruses to grow. Indoor workouts at crowded gyms can increase you risk of picking up germs, fungus and the common winter cold and flu virus. This is more common in the winter when we often spend more time training indoors where it's easier for germs to spread. Here is a guide to where gym germs commonly lurk. You can reduce your risk of infection with the following precautions:
a) Equipment:
Ever wonder what that really sweaty person before you has left behind on the treadmill or the dumbbells? The highest risk areas for contracting unwanted germs are machines which are used by multiple people in quick sequence. A microbiologist quoted in a related article on ABC News says, eighty per cent of all infectious disease is transmitted by this kind of contact.
How to avoid it?
Prevent the spread of germs by washing your hands before and after exercise. To avoid
spreading disease to others, do not exercise at a public gym when you are sick. Consider exercising at home or outdoors when you are feeling under the weather. The easiest way to protect yourself is by wiping equipment before and after each use. Most fitness facilities provide disinfecting anti-bacterial spray or wipes. Don?t rely on others to keep the equipment clean. Also bring and use your own clean sweat towels. Use them to wipe your sweat, rather than your hands.
b) Hot Tubs:
Warm water is a breeding ground for bacteria, especially the Pseudomonas bacteria, which can live on your skin. It can cause skin infection, which results in a red rash. This bacteria is transferred from one person to another via the hot tub water if it isn?t chlorinated or cleaned adequately.
How to avoid it?
Make sure your gym chlorinates the hot tub properly and changes the water regularly. Do not be afraid to ask the management, as you are a paying member and have the right to know your health is being taken into high regard. Provinces have various regulations regarding spas and hot tubs.
c) Saunas, Showers and the Change Room Floor:
Although you shower to get clean, the showers at the gym are certainly not the most sanitary of places. Fungus grows easily in warm, moist conditions. It is possible to pick up fungal infections when tiny cracks in your skin come into direct contact with the fungus. Various types of fungus can cause athletes foot, nail infections, ringworm in children and jock itch. This happens when the bottoms of your bare feet touch the wet shower or change room floor, or when sitting directly on a sauna bench. Even in seemingly immaculate health clubs, these organisms can dwell in unexpected places. It doesn?t matter if it is a carpeted or tiled floor.
How to avoid it?
If you are careful when changing and showering, you can easily avoid many of these diseases. Your bare feet should never touch the floor when you are at the gym. Wear sandals or flip flops when walking through the pool, sauna and shower area. You should also sit on a towel in the sauna to avoid direct contact with the seating.
Also consider these tips to prevent viruses from invading your feet:
a) Wash and dry your feet thoroughly.
b) Use antifungal powder in your running shoes.
c) Wear synthetic socks and change them often.
d) Change out of your gym shoes right after exercising and wash them occasionally in the hot water cycle.
NOTE:
Before you join any gym, it is important to get a tour of the facility. Ask questions and make sure the management keeps it clean. By taking the necessary precautions, gym germs can be avoided, allowing you to enjoy your workout without worrying about bringing anything but a healthier body home.
I hope all of you gained some knowledge from this article.
Good luck & Train hard!
References:
Dr. Suresh (My Father)
www.ezinearticles.com
www.thesoko.com
What is the best workout when you have the common cold?
. Lastly be sure to wash your hands thuroughly when finished!
Linear Mode
