# Should I go running if I'm sick?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-running-if-im-sick/128617>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 16, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-running-if-im-sick/128617 "2002-09-16T00:16:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-running-if-im-sick/128617/1 "2002-09-16T00:16:08Z")

</div>

For about twenty/twenty-five miles a day, but I’m pretty sick right now and coughing a lot. Should I go running? I feel lazy, so I really kind of want to. Will it make me feel better or worse?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-running-if-im-sick/128617/2 "2002-09-16T00:19:30Z")

</div>

If you have a mild cold with no severe chest congestion and no fever, running may actually help. Hey, but if you don’t feel like it and you need an excuse, don’t do it. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@dec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dec)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-running-if-im-sick/128617/3 "2002-09-16T00:37:55Z")

</div>

I’ve heard people talking about ‘sweating it out’ and other such garbage. I work out alot and I’ve learned that working out hard when you’re sick just makes the whole mess worse. For me, the only thing I can do is eat well, drink lots of water and sleep. Nothing else makes sense.

Perhaps I’m just a wimp.