If you are wondering whether you should exercise with a stuffy head, you are not alone. No matter what your stuffy head originates from, exercise if you feel up to it and only do as much as you can handle. Your exercise routine should not have to suffer, though, from your stuffy head.
Identification
If you are experiencing a stuffy head, you feel that you are unable to breathe due to nasal congestion or blocked sinuses. A stuffy head could be from a cold virus, sinus infection or allergies. Nasal congestion can make your head feel as if it is full of cotton. Most of the time, it is due to swollen tissue lining and inflamed blood vessels within your nose.
Significance
Exercise naturally boosts the immune system, which may help fight and prevent colds. While a stuffy head may deter you from wanting to work out, light to moderate exercise should not make you feel worse. In fact, it may make you feel better. Sweating might increase your immune system's activity, increasing the white blood cells that fight infection, according to Professor Leonard Kaminsky of Ball State University, as reported by The Times of London website. If your stuffy head is due to allergies, where you exercise can make a difference. Indoor allergies call for exercising outdoors in the fresh air, but if you have outdoor allergies, you may want to avoid exercising outside.
Expert Insight
A Ball State University study published in 2002, followed 50 individuals with the rhinovirus, or common cold, a typical culprit of a stuffy head. The group was separated into two groups: 25 individuals who ran, rode bikes and climbed stairs for 40 minutes each day and 25 individuals who were sedentary. Those who exercised felt better after exercising. Both groups remained the same, however, in the intensity and length of cold symptoms. Exercising neither helped nor worsened their colds.
Risks
If you are exercising with others, either in a gym or exercise class, be mindful of those around you. You may feel up to exercising, but the person beside you may not appreciate your coughing or sniffling. Should your cold settle in your chest, resulting in breathing difficulties or deep coughing, not exercising is a better way to go. Likewise, if you have a fever along with your stuffy head, skip your workout, at least until the fever subsides. Give your body the proper time to rest. If you are unsure about exercising with a stuffy head, consult your doctor.
References
- Ball State University; Moderate Exercise Does Not Worsen a Cold; Marc Ransford; June 2002
- Medline plus: Nasal Congestion
- The Times; Colds and Exercise: Stop Your Sniffling and Get On With It; Peta Bee; February 2009
- American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: Exercising with Allergies and Asthma
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