Suffering thru cold and flu season

[Traildoggie]

Ok, I've just been thru a seige of a very bad cold/flu. Temp, cough, congestion, fatigue, you name it, for two weeks. At about one week I felt I was "better" and logged in some light treadmill time, but next day was sicker than before. lesson learned.

So, yesterday after two weeks I did a very mild cardio session, followed by muscle max with lighter than usual weight. today I feel like I was beaten, every muscle is sore.

Is there a better way to recoup from a short term illness? Or is the only way to "bite the bullet" and be miserably sore for a while as recovery continues? I thought I was going easy on myself but apparently a lot is lost in two weeks of inactivity, in addition to 5 lbs of cough syrup weight gain.

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Yikes Traildoggie....slow down!The effects of a flu can remain in your system even three weeks plus after the obvious symptoms are gone. Fever and a serious cough can really take their toll on your body. I would take another week off and then do three non-consecutive light 20 minute cardio (as light as brisk walking) for the first week back with maybe some light ab work (two days) and light band work (2 days)thrown in there to see if you are ready.

Take it easy and I hope you feel better!

 

[PhyllisG]

I am so glad you asked this question and want to thank Cathe for her reply. I am about a week into this cold/flu and wonder if it will ever go away. It just keeps morphing into something else. And yes you think you are better only to get hit again. I have just been stretching (using StretchMax actually) and that feels so good. I had thought OK a week off I can do that but now I see it will be longer than I thought. But I guess I will keep stretching because then I don't scrunch up and feel cold. Hope we all feel better!

 

[Rhea]

Perfect timing! I just wanted to tag along and say I'm with you there ladies. Its one of those type of colds that just doesn't want to go away. Mine keeps morphing too...at least it is only on one half of my head, I'm hoping it stays there. I can breathe out of one side most of the day, but sure cannot hear anything! Hope we all feel better soon!

 

[teach4s]

Ughh I have the same thing too. I've been out of commission for 5 days. I tried to do my elliptical machine for 20 minutes today and I was gasping like a chain smoker. I'm going to also take it easy for a few more days. I hope everybody gets well soon!

 

[AEHaight]

I was down 3 weeks w/ mine. Finally feeling "normal" although I'm kinda tired at night still (more than usual LOL)

 

[Traildoggie]

I'm doing well now,thanks for your kind thoughts. I usually don't stay inactive for long.... it's soooo hard to get back up to speed. I was feeling like a real wuss by going almost two weeks without getting up a sweat. so I did some easy treadmill time and then went cross country skiing yesterday, a tough one, figuring it would kill me or cure me. guess it was the latter... I am here today!
That's good to know though, that that much time may be needed to recover. I still don't think I'm 100% but probably 90% and that's enough to get moving again, at least on a modified program.

For those of you who get this "flu" or whatever it is... I had a flu shot so not sure what I caught, but nasty nasty. Husband had it first. sore throat, fever. throat and head congestion. coughing up disgusting crud. and so tired. It does pass but I talked to a number of others who had a similar experience. a couple days after it started they were feeling decent and started normal activities and then relapsed getting sicker than the first go-round. so be careful out there!

 

[emvolkin]

'tis a season. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I got a really bad cold last February. I tallied how many stickers I had each month in my Cathe 2007 calendar, and Febrary I only had 4 stickers! It was like my worse month for exercising-It started off as a cold then just got worse and worse until it went into strep throat and then I had laryngitis and a lot of upper respiratory congestion that just wouldn't go away. But, I did recover at the end of February just in time to take a one week winter vacation to visit my family in Ohio. (so that's my excuse for fewer stickers that month). I hope I survive this February.
Eva

 

[Calee]

How timely!
I swear that as soon as I start to feel almost normal and try to get active, this bug really does morph into something worse than the first onset.
As another poster said, it's hard not to do my normal workouts, for fear that I'll lose so much progress. Hopefully we all start feeling better for good soon!
Calee

 

[pgun]

I am just starting w/my symptoms!! It started out w/just a few forced coughs and by that night I felt horrible. I have not worked for 2 days and 4 other girls in the office have it too!!!!

My skin hurts, I ache all over, my throat hurts, I have a 100 degree temp and my eyes feel hot and tired. Oh and I have a headache too and because I am taking musinex my nose is running and when I cough it feels so tight!!!

Is this how you guys felt??

Penny