When You're Under the Weather

Working out when you're feeling sick can be a drag, but illness doesn't have to derail your routine. If your symptoms appear above your neck (runny nose, sneezing, sore throat), you can keep working out if you take your intensity down a few notches. If your symptoms appear below the neck (a deep chest cough, vomiting, diarrhea), or if you have a fever, it's best to lay off altogether until you feel better.
If you're well enough to exercise, the key is to keep some momentum going without overdoing it. However, sometimes when you're not feeling well, the last thing you want to do is exercise and eat well. If you do fall off the wagon, don't give up once you're feeling better. Here's what one of my rock stars posted recently on the Message Boards to motivate a fellow member who was bummed about feeling sick and falling off of her eating and exercise program:

"Being sick makes this routine very hard to do. Most importantly, though, DON'T GET DOWN ON YOURSELF for not working out or for eating poorly. Especially when you're sick. It's in the past. That is the beautiful thing about each new day. A NEW START = )"
—keebzie

What amazing support! Remember, sometimes life will throw you a curveball, and you've just got to do your best, don't give up, and get back up to speed as soon as you can.

--Jillian Michaels