GRIPAD ® Blog

Should You Work Out If You’re Sick?

Regular workout devotees sometimes wake up feeling under the weather and wonder if it might be a good idea to skip the exercise plans they had scheduled for the day. Popular wisdom and most of the internet offer the same generic answer to this question: Let your body be your guide. If you feel like you should work out, do so. If not, don’t.

But this isn’t really an answer. Especially since most people who are stumped by this question are athletes and workout regulars who embrace a philosophy that encourages pushing through pain. When is it time to push through pain and when is it time to scale back? We wouldn’t ask if we already knew the answer. Sometimes our bodies can’t tell us and we need some real advice.

So try these guidelines the next time you’re wondering if it’s a good idea to get out of bed and head for the gym when you’re sick.

Working Out While Sick: Considerations

1. Do you have a fever or just a cold? If you have a cold, your symptoms will usually be localized above your neck. You’ll have a runny nose, itchy eyes, and maybe some head congestion. If your symptoms are all in your head, so to speak, a run or a round of resistance training may actually be a good idea, since it might break up some of your congestion for a while and make breathing a little easier. Scale back your workout slightly, but don’t skip it altogether.
2. If you have a fever, skip the workout. The gym will be waiting for you when you recover.
3. If you don’t have a fever, but you’re experiencing symptoms below the neck, like a stomachache, nausea, or body aches, make a plan to get back to the gym on the following day. One day of missed training won’t undermine your workout goals, and if your attempt to “power through” results in a miserable experience, you may be incrementally demotivating yourself. Keep your workout process fun…Don’t let it turn into a grind.

When Your Workout Just Isn’t Working Out

Something’s wrong. In spite of your best intentions, your workout progress has somehow gotten off track. You had realistic goals, strong motivation, the right gear, and you’ve been throwing yourself into your routine with just enough enthusiasm to keep you focused but not so much that you’ve compromised technique or common sense. But nothing is changing. Your performance isn’t increasing, you aren’t losing weight, and you don’t seem to be reaping the benefits that you expected. What should you do.

First, before you get discouraged, take a closer look. Things might not be as stagnant as they seem. If you expected to lose five pounds and only lost one, don’t give up just yet. This may be more reasonable than it seems, and it’s possible that your expectations were not as realistic as they appeared at first. Be patient, and remember that the body is an organic thing with a life of its own. Some weeks we push ourselves past the max and gain nothing. It happens. The next week will be better, but only if we keep at it.

Second, take a closer look at the circumstances. Revaluate your environment, your habits outside of the gym, and your gear. Something may be causing you to hold back in ways you don’t recognize. You might think you’re giving it your all, but a source of outside stress or a subtle injury may be causing you to ease up unintentionally. Make sure your clothing is comfortable, breathable and secure. Try to tune out distractions while you work out. Even if you have other obligations pressing down on you or diverting your attention, they can wait until your exercise session is over. Focus on one problem at a time. And finally, make sure your hands are comfortable and protected. Wear your Gripads, and don’t let small abrasions and blisters compromise your progress.

Exercise: Accept the Challenge!

All across the country, millions of people are waking up to the fact that protecting your health doesn’t just mean living longer. It means looking great, feeling great, and having the energy to do the things you love with the people who matter most. Working out tones your body, improves your posture, regulates your sleep, and can even spring you out of a prison of negativity and blue moods. Combined with healthy eating and plenty of water, exercise can help you relax, sharpen your focus, and even expand your social life.

These things happen with time. The lasting effects of an exercise regimen begin to show only after you’ve had the patience to stay at it for a while. But there is one powerful effect that begins to show up right away: Exercise feels great. At the end of even one workout session, endorphins are released that flood us with a sense of well-being and accomplishment. Our problems take a few steps back and we feel focused and ready to face the day.

Finding time to exercise can be a challenge, and maintaining a routine that pushes us beyond our comfort zone can sometimes seem like a hassle. But if we accept the challenge get over those minor obstacles, the feeling of reward can keep us coming back.  If you’re ready to get up, get outside and get moving, don’t let little things get in the way. Choose a time during the day that’s easy for you, and don’t fuss too much over your gear. A good pair of shoes plus comfortable clothes made of natural fibers will perfectly suffice for your cardio workouts. And for you resistance training routine, you really don’t need much: just a few simple weights (or an accessible gym), and something to protect your hands. So don’t wait. You deserve a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle. Get out there and make it happen!

Finding a Workout Community

Making exercise a regular part of your lifestyle can provide a long list of benefits, from improved strength and weight loss to an increased metabolism, better sleep, more energy, improved posture and a more positive outlook. But exercise can offer additional, often under-recognized benefits for your social life.

Working out can be a very social activity, and few things offer more powerful motivation than the sound of friends and partners cheering you on. If you’ve just joined a gym or you’ve recently started adding exercise to your regular routine, consider making use of the buddy system. Bring a friend along on your runs or resistance training sessions. Choose someone who shares at least some of your general workout goals, someone with a similar approach and level of commitment. If you work out with a partner, you can keep each other on track and motivated when things get difficult. You can also offer tips and pointers on technique and give each other perspective when progress seems slow.

If you don’t have a potential workout partner in your circle, head to the gym solo but keep an eye out for classes that might interest you. Group sessions can be fun and can provide a great way to get and give positive reinforcement. Even if you’re shy, regular attendance will eventually help you get to know the other members of the group, who may be friendlier and more encouraging than you realize. Signing up for a regularly scheduled class will also help you stay committed, especially if you begin to see progress (which you will) and you want to keep moving forward.

The process will be easier if you choose a gym or class with like-minded people who seem to share your approach. But don’t be afraid to expose yourself to new people and new situations that can help you grow.

Before You Start Adding Exercise to Your Routine

Before you begin a steady exercise regimen, there are a few things you should hear. First, congratulations! The most important step to a healthy lifestyle is the first step: making the decision to get started. Once you’re ready to get out there and experience the benefits of regular exercise, you’re already on your way to better strength, better sleep, an improved outlook on life, fewer colds and aches, and more energy to do the things you love with the people you care about.

Before you begin, you’ll need to remember that the best things in life are worth a little sweat and a little patience. You may not see dramatic weight loss right away, but if you stay steady and keep your motivators in mind, you’ll get there soon enough.

Remember to enjoy the small daily rewards that come from working out. Pay attention to the spring in your step and the sense of accomplishment after you’ve done something difficult, and make the most of the endorphins and good feelings that come from pushing yourself to your limits.

Try to make exercise just one part of a healthy lifestyle. Keep an eye on what you eat, and while you’re at it, stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep.

And finally, don’t leave for the gym without the right gear. Invest in a quality yoga mat, weights, instruction, proper shoes and anything else you need to make sure you get the most return on your hard work. And don’t forget your Gripads. Your Gripads protect your hands, but they do more than that. Every time you look at them, you’ll remember that here are Gripad, we believe in you! We stand behind the power of exercise and a healthy lifestyle, which means we stand behind you. Grab that bar and get moving!

Staying Motivated: An Important Part of Any Workout Routine

Every athlete knows that motivation is key to sustained progress on the track, at the gym, or on the field. Top performers and people who have been working out seriously for a long time all have special motivational tricks and tactics that keep them focused when things get rough. But what about the rest of us? What happens when the desire to lose a few pounds or prevent the vague threat of heart disease in the distant future just aren’t enough to send us out into the cold? Especially when we have other obligations competing for our attention?

Here are a few considerations that can help you stay focused. Keep these in mind at the beginning of your journey, and also on rough days when you feel like letting your workout fall to the side.

First, begin with reasonable expectations. Prepare to be patient. You won’t lose twenty pounds in a week, no matter who you are. And it wouldn’t be very healthy to attempt this anyway. Be prepared to reap immediate benefits like feelings of well-being and accomplishment, improved breathing, and better sleep. But noticeably increased strength or weight loss will take a little longer.

Second, keep your long term goals written or posted somewhere where you can see them, and remember that the path to these goals can only be traveled one step at a time. Each workout is step forward. Each missed workout is a step to nowhere.

Third, enjoy every moment of satisfaction that comes from exercise and good health. From the rush that comes at the end of a workout, to the spring in your step when you get up in the morning, to the relaxed waistband of your pants, enjoy and savor every detail. These good feelings will create lasting memories that can help you when you need a boost.

Staying Hydrated During an Intense Workout

Summer is nearly over, and the weather is cooling. But we may still have a few hot days left, and even when the weather seems mild, it’s important to pay attention to how much moisture we’re losing during a workout. These fluids need to be replaced, or we can become dehydrated and our performance and progress can begin to slide. Many workout beginners are surprised or caught off guard by the broader signs of dehydration, during the summer months but also during weather that doesn’t feel especially hot. Dehydration doesn’t always bring feelings of thirst. It can also bring mild headaches, fatigue, irritability, and reduced performance at the gym.

When the weather is hot, make sure you pay active attention to how much fluid you take in. Don’t let thirst be your guide. Take a drink of water every ten minutes or so. And if your workout is intense and long (over two hours), choose electrolyte drinks instead of water. These can replace the salt and other minerals that are lost with sweat.

When you head the gym for your workout during the late summer and fall, bring comfortable breathable clothes, neoprene Gripads to protect your hands, a friend to keep you motivated and on track, and plenty of water or non-sugary sports drinks. Keep your source of hydration close and stop every ten or fifteen minutes to drink even if you don’t feel thirsty. Your skin and muscles will thank you, and your general sense of well-being will stay in top shape throughout your routine.

And remember that hydration is only one part of peak performance. You also need to eat well, maintain a balanced schedule, and get plenty of sleep. If you can stay on track, it won’t be long before you see positive results.

Should You Add Weightlifting to Your Cardio Routine?

Even if your workout goals are not specifically focused on increasing muscle strength or gaining muscle mass, most experts recommend adding resistance training or weightlifting to your cardio routine at least two or three times a week. As with almost everything in life, balance is key, and a singular focus on cardio development can lead to inadvertent neglect of some large muscle groups. If muscles aren’t strengthened in proportion to your heart and lungs, injury can sometimes result. It’s also a good idea to make sure you focus an adequate amount of time on developing both your upper and lower body strength.

Adding moderate weight lifting to a running or swimming regimen can help maintain balance and coordination, and can also help you develop and maintain bone strength and overall skeletal health. Weightlifting can also offer a motivational benefit, since changing things up can prevent boredom, add new challenges, and increase endorphins. If you add weightlifting to your routine, avoid injury by planning ahead. Start at an appropriate level with proper supervision and work your way up. If I Intend to Do Both Lifting and Cardio, Does the Order Matter? If you intend to take on cardio and weight training in the same workout, you should adjust your schedule in accordance with your goals. If you’re training for an endurance event or focusing on building our stamina, tackle the cardio portion of your workout first. Lifting before running may lead to muscle fatigue that you might not recognize, which can lead potentially lead to injury if you lift too much or too fast. If you’re working on building muscle mass and strength, you might want to lift first. Muscle building requires high amounts of glycogen, and glycogen reserves can be depleted by a long run or cardio routine.