- In a new advice column for Insider, Jillian Michaels is answering reader questions on subjects like diet, exercise, and health.
- Jillian Michaels is a leading health and fitness expert, author, and creator of the My Fitness app.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Question: When, if ever, is it OK to work out when you're sick? What do you recommend for a modified workout that will keep up your routine without worsening the illness?
Jillian Michaels: No. Sorry to be so blunt, but really, no.
I get that exercise may be your your stress relief, your mood enhancer, your sanity. Or maybe you're on a roll and don't want anything tipping you off the wagon. However, if we look at this with a purely physiological perspective in mind, it's simply not advantageous.
We know that over time, exercise improves our physical fitness pretty much in every way from cardiovascular health to bone density, muscle strength to endurance, and so on.
How is exercise doing this? By exploiting your body's stress adaptation response. For example: You blister your hand, and over time, your body adapts by thickening the skin into a callous. Or you lift weights and it stresses your bones, and over time, your body sends cells and nutrients to heal them, making them denser. That's a stress adaptation response.
Why is this relevant to the question of exercising while you're injured or sick?
Because the point is that exercise inherently is stress. When you are sick, your body is already stressed by infection and needs all its resources to focus on fighting that infection, not recovering from the stress of physical fitness.
While I admire your dedication to yourself and your health, if your focus is taking the best possible care of yourself, you will allow your body the time it needs to rest and recover. And under no circumstances is this a time to get down on yourself about being disciplined and going to the gym — quite the contrary. It's the time to be extra nurturing, caring, and loving with yourself.
One area where you can be extremely proactive is with your nutrition. While you may lose several days of "gains" in the gym, if you aren't overeating or eating garbage, there really isn't that much ground to lose from a short time off with regard to your level of fitness and overall well-being.
In fact, you will find your body will bounce right back — hence the term "muscle memory." Which is actually the truth. Your body, using your epigenome, essentially "remembers" your level of fitness. Almost like a blueprint if you will — which is why getting back in shape is easier than getting in shape for the first time.
Plus, you can be extra cognizant of eating incredibly well. Take all that energy you channel into your workouts and pour it into eating healthy foods that help boost your immunity, like tea with manuka honey, ginger, and lemon, or fresh turmeric shots with a splash of oregano oil, bone broth with freshly chopped garlic. You get the idea.
And consider practicing some meditations to help your body rejuvenate during the time you might be at the gym. Take a nap or a warm bath. Basically, get your chill on.
These types of habits should be practiced all the time, but if you are sick and can't work out, take advantage of the down time. Put it to good use by practicing other components of wellness that will not only help you heal, but will help keep you healthy in the years to come.
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