Feeling Under the Weather?

Feeling sickish? You're not alone.

Around this time of year, people commonly come down with respiratory viruses and diseases such as colds and sometimes more serious infections like influenza. For those who exercise regularly, this can create problems and be frustrating. Here are some tips on what to with your workout schedule/routine if you are sick.




Know how sick is too sick
If you have a fever, a sore throat and feel a serious decrease in energy, just take a break and lie down. Exercising with a respiratory infection or other disease can be disastrous and prolong your sickness. When you are ill, your body has a harder time distributing oxygen to muscles, which can prevent your body from a successful post-workout recovery. This will also add to the discomfort of being sick. Get plenty of rest if you are down with a fever and really feeling sick.

Be mindful of others
If you are contagiously ill and workout at a gym where there are other people, you risk spreading your infection to them. This is more of a common courtesy than anything. If you are sick with a contagious virus like the flu, stay away from the gym until you feel better.

Keep it light
If you decide to go out for a run or hit the gym, do not push yourself hard or do an intense workout. If you run, keep it at a jog or a light run pace. Keeping your blood moving while you are sick might actually make you feel better, which is a definite plus. What is light for you is up to your own judgment. You can go back to your normal routine once you feel better

Whatever you decide to do, if you are seriously ill, you should always seek medical treatment.


A healthy winter season to you from all of us at Element Fitness!



Want to know more? Read more!
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1775170/should_you_work_out_while_sick_pg2.html?cat=5
http://www.criticalbench.com/working-out-when-sick.htm
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/exercising-when-sick

Trouble Sticking with it?

Find a Buddy!

Let’s face it, especially for newcomers, finding the motivation to stick with your exercise regimen, push it a little harder or even start exercising at all can be a challenge for some. Working out alone can be good for you, but it can also lead to a loss of motivation. Say you had a hard day at work, and think “I’ve been working out hard, I can take a few days off”, and you end up spending the rest of the night relaxing, on the computer or watching T.V. Well, why not take one more day off? That single day turns into a week, and before you know it, you have lost your
motivation! Once you finally get back to the gym, the bar you were up to before has been slowly sinking while you were away and you end up having to work back up to
where you were. If only you had someone to keep you going….

Bottom line is, unless you have a personal trainer or a group, going to the gym freelance without a buddy can be mentally challenging, and having a buddy to work out with can help your motivation immensely. If you are the only one working out, it’s easy to pass it up. If you have a buddy who is expecting to see you at the gym at a certain time, your not going to be calling in sick just because you feel tired out from work.

With a buddy, or even a group, fitness becomes more of a commitment. You’re not going to want to leave your buddy who is expecting you alone at the gym! Be it a friend, a family member or even a coworker, setting fitness goals and tackling them with someone by your side becomes much more of a motivation to get off the couch and in gear! Best of luck finding a buddy!

For more information on buddy fitness, check out these links!

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/fitness/workouts/personal-
trainer/buddy-system

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?
tabnum=1&art_id=13511

July Updates from Element Fitness!

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Check out this slide show by webmd.com which shows 9 common exercises and their safer, more effective alternatives.