Can you exercise when you have a cold?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on January 25, 2025
00:00
00:00

After catching a cold, it is appropriate to engage in some mild exercise, such as walking or slow-paced walking. It is crucial not to partake in intense physical activities as they can lead to fatigue and a decrease in immunity, potentially worsening bacterial infections. Moreover, intense exercise can cause the sweat pores to expand, further aggravating cold symptoms. After a cold, the body tends to be weaker, so it is advisable to drink more ginger sugar water, rest adequately, and avoid spicy, greasy, and irritating foods. Drinking plenty of water is also important. If there are symptoms of fever, physical methods should be used to reduce the fever.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
37sec home-news-image

What should you eat when you have a cold?

For the disease of the common cold, one should primarily consume light foods and eat more foods rich in vitamin C such as apples, bananas, kiwis, dragon fruits, and mangoes. Medically, one should choose antipyretic analgesics, which can help alleviate symptoms like headache and sore limbs. If symptoms include a runny nose and sneezing, one may take Chlorpheniramine Maleate to suppress gland secretion. Concurrently, using Qingkailing granules or antiviral oral solutions can provide antiviral targeted treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
58sec home-news-image

What should I do if I have a slight cold?

If you experience some symptoms of a cold, you shouldn't worry too much about it. A common cold usually heals on its own in about seven days, and it tends to resolve naturally. However, if you experience a cold accompanied by headaches, fever, coughing, phlegm, or sore throat, this could be more serious and might be due to a viral or bacterial infection. In such cases, under the guidance of a doctor, you can take appropriate anti-inflammatory or antiviral medications. It's also important to stay hydrated to boost metabolism and enhance the body’s immunity. Make sure to keep warm and avoid exposure to cold drafts. During a cold, avoid smoking and alcohol and cooperate actively with medical treatment. Additionally, maintaining a positive mood is crucial as stress can adversely affect recovery from illness.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huang Kun Mei
Pediatrics
52sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of a baby's cold?

Babies with a cold often experience symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and fever. If the child's cold lasts no more than three days, you can treat it with some antiviral traditional Chinese medicine, as most initial colds are caused by viral infections. In terms of diet, it is important to ensure that the child consumes plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, avoids overly greasy food, and eats light, easily digestible meals. If the cold raises the child's temperature above 39°C, timely fever-reducing treatment is necessary. If the temperature does not exceed 38.5°C, physical cooling methods can be used to help reduce the child's fever. Additionally, it is important to ventilate the room for two hours every day.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
46sec home-news-image

Can you swim with a mild cold?

Mild colds in clinical settings, like in patients whose symptoms are not very severe and who do not have a fever, allow for activities like swimming during summer, especially for those suffering from heat-related colds. However, in winter, even with a mild cold, it's advisable not to swim due to the relatively lower temperature of the water in pools compared to normal temperatures. Instead, choosing other forms of exercise to boost the immune system is recommended during the cold winter months. Therefore, for patients with mild colds, it’s also important to assess the type of cold to decide whether swimming is appropriate.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
50sec home-news-image

Is having phlegm in a cold due to wind-cold or wind-heat cold?

Simple cases of colds accompanied by coughing phlegm cannot distinguish between cold-induced colds and heat-induced colds. Clinically, patients with heat-induced colds often have yellow phlegm when coughing occurs, and heat-induced colds are more common in summer. Patients will also experience fever, chills, and sore throat among other clinical symptoms. Wind-cold colds clinically manifest with nasal congestion and a runny nose, usually with clear nasal discharge, as well as fever, itchy throat, and dry cough. When patients cough, it is typically characterized by clear phlegm. Therefore, if one simply states that a cold involves phlegm, it is not possible to differentiate between wind-cold cold and wind-heat cold.