Does playing sports with a cold make it worse? Try the “neck test” – Corriere.it

How many times does it happen to be a little cold, to have a sore throat but still go for a run or to the pool? In this winter period, dotted with various seasonal ailmentsthe choice often arises with the parents, who don’t know whether to let their children skip the appointment with the sport discipline when they don’t feel well. How to adjust with exercise when it’s clearly not bad but not quite right either? Does training make it worse or better?

The neck test

There is no single answer, but there are some parameters to evaluate in order to make the correct decision. In the evaluation can help the neck test. This is what Anglo-Saxon scientists call the indication that gives the green or red light for sport: if symptoms are above the neck (such as nasal congestion, mild sore throat or headache) you can exercise; when they involve all the rest of the body (such as nausea, diarrhea, fever, body aches) best avoided. If you feel fit, with no symptoms other than mild respiratory symptoms, you can do some physical activity – confirms Gianfranco Beltrami, specialist in Sports Medicine, national vice president of the Italian Sports Medicine Federation -. also documented that moving can strengthen the immune system and protect against inflammation. The important thing is never to reach very high intensities: a 30-minute walk, lifting light weights, using a stationary bike.

When to stop

good to know each other and monitor the evolution of your health: how many times have the mildest symptoms turned into something more serious? Everyone remembers their weaknesses and can to some extent predict when a runny nose is bound to become the flu. Do not overdo it, therefore, in order not to make the situation worse, e absolute restinstead, in the presence of fever, joint pain, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, feeling of broken bones and pain in the muscles.

When sport can hurt

In some cases, in fact, physical activity can hurt and there is a precise reason for this: When you do high-intensity exercise, your immune system is “depressed” for a certain period and this can favor a worsening of current infections and symptoms – explains Beltrami -. We recall the story of the first Covid patient, who was a marathon runner, hit hard by the coronavirus the day after a race. There is this phenomenon called “open window” so after very intense exercise there is a greater susceptibility to all infections, a window of time which usually lasts a couple of days. Intense training means weakening and tiredness, when you are already the target of infections, and a potential increased risk of complications.

Don’t infect

In summary, if one feels like it, he can safely train and the benefit it might as well be psychological: for some, reacting by moving guarantees not to break down at the first cold. The rhythms, however, must be slower than usual until one is perfectly recovered. Even then, it will be wise to return to your exercise routine slowly, gradually increasing the duration and intensity of your workout.
Last warning, but really absolute priority, respect for others: the exercises mentioned above must be done alone, at home or outdoors: going to the gym or swimming pool with the risk of infecting those who frequent the same places that are absolutely to be avoided.