Recently, I have heard a lot of people saying they have been sick. Cold. Sneezing. Coughing. Then it may turn to the flu, chills, and fever. We have heard of the rule of thumb: Neck up/neck down. Today, I chat about that rule of thumb, and about when to head back to working out.

Here are some “Rulon Rules” for Dealing with a Cold or a Flu:

Neck Up –

• Cold, allergies, sneezing, coughing, etc.
• General Guideline: Still work out, BUT maybe the intensity isn’t as strong as it would be if you were feeling better. Be mindful of interval work as well. If you just need to go out and do a 30 minute run versus a 30 minute run with intervals, opt for the 30-minute run.

Neck Below –

• Flu, Body Aches, Chills, etc.
• General Guideline: NO WORKING OUT. Rest. Rest. Rest. Fluids. Recover.

When to start working out again?

Neck Up –

• Week of Being Sick: Still doing 5 – 6 workouts a week but with less intensity
• The week AFTER being sick: Should be able to get back in the swing of things. The norm, but if you start feeling a bit off in your workouts, listen to your BODY and make sure you stay in tune with your workouts.

Neck Below –

• Week of Being Sick: Not doing a THANG. It is rest, rest, rest!
• The week AFTER being Sick: You will have to scale down this week. You won’t be able to “pick up” where you left off before you were sick. You need to pull back on the intensity, the duration, and the frequency of your workouts. Try to do something once a day, and see how you feel for the swim, bike, run, and your lift.