Sick of exercising sick!

I’m intimidated by gyms, I’ll admit it. Maybe it’s the machines that all look alike, but all have very specific and different purposes. Sure, I could read the instructions, but then I might as well paint a sign on my forehead that says, “I don’t belong here.” Maybe it’s the body builders lifting their 40-pound dumbbells while I struggle with my 5-pounders (8 on a good day). Maybe it’s the full-length mirrors, my fear of falling off a treadmill or the full-fledged stakeout for a machine at some gyms like Southwest Recreation Center on campus. In the case of Gainesville Health and Fitness Center, it could be the sheer size of the parking lot that unnerves me. A person could get lost in a parking lot like that.

But last week I went to the GHFC with my health and fitness writing class, and there’s something to be said for confidence in numbers. Two trainers at the gym spoke to our class about functional exercising, exercising based on movements instead of muscles, and the importance of exercising in the aging population. Then we had the opportunity to ask questions of our own.

A combination of awkward silence and newfound confidence in this unfamiliar environment prompted me to raise my hand.

“Is it true that exercising when you’re sick can help you recover,” I asked.

One look at the trainer’s face, and I knew my cover was blown. I felt the words “I don’t belong here,” searing into my forehead.

No, it turns out, was the obvious answer

While part of me instantly regretted asking the token “stupid question,” another part of me found the rest of the trainers’ response enlightening and helpful.

One trainer explained that sickness is like an injury to the body, so our workout schedule should be adapted accordingly. Both of the trainers suggested taking time off until the body recovered, and at the very least, they insisted that exercisers modify workouts to make them easier on sick days. An article on CNN.com, although a year old (hence I may be behind the times), outlined a similar position on exercising when sick.

So now I know; running when I’m feeling feverish will probably make me feel more feverish. Common sense—1. Strange and illogical myth that I believed for many years—0.