Is It Necessary To Exercise When Affected By The Flu? Here Are The Results Of The Research

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JAKARTA - Flu or influenza is caused by a virus that can cause the body to experience fever, nasal congestion, cough, chills, sore throat, and muscle aches. Although some people may experience mild flu symptoms, some experience severe symptoms and often appear suddenly.

Exercise can indeed make the body feel good and help stay healthy. However, when exposed to the body's flu it can become weaker. In conditions like this, you generally recommend not exercising or doing anything that makes it difficult for you to breathe.

If you have mild flu, you can keep exercising but do it consciously. Don't force yourself too hard and give your body time to recover. If your symptoms are severe or your immune system is weak, meet medical experts for treatment and discuss sports choices.

Even though it's true that exercise increases immunity. But doing it when the body is in a sick condition will not necessarily make you fit by itself. And the idea that exercising can help the body "extend sweat" from the disease is just a myth, according to NYU Langone Health, reported by Livestrong, Wednesday, January 24.

Especially if you have a fever during the flu, you should not exercise the Mayo Clinic advice. The heart rate usually increases because fever and exercise can spur a lot of pressure on the heart. In some cases, this can cause heart failure.

You also have a higher risk of dehydration when you have a fever, and exercise exacerbates these risks. Fever indicates that the body is working hard to deal with the flu virus. And the best thing you can do is rest and let your body recover.

When you have recovered from the flu, return to doing regular exercise routines gradually. In order to give the body the opportunity to rebuild the immune system. If you have a fever, you have to wait a few days after the fever subsides before doing any exercise, according to NYU Langone.

And according to Harvard Health Publishing, exercise with a very low intensity in preventing respiratory loss. Don't expect to go straight into your old sporting routine. It may take a few weeks to get back to doing the previous exercise routine.

To avoid contracting the flu, you should try exercising during less crowded hours in the gym during the flu season. Then, clean the equipment before use (and of course after), a recommendation from the University of California Irvine.

But don't miss out on sports, especially during the flu season. A general survey proves that doing moderate intensity exercise regularly is up to 45 minutes. Can be useful in maintaining immunity, according to an article in 2020 on Exercise Immunology Review.