The last few weeks have been an eye opener for me. People get sick all the time. Cold and flu season happens every year. Hypochondriacs form a never ending line at the hospitals for their yearly injections of poison to “help” prevent them from getting the flu.
I’ve realized that so many people panic at the mere mention of the word virus. It seems like every time you turned around it was on the nightly news, schools were closing down, companies were sending workers home, people were wearing Michael Jackson masks as they walked through airports and even the vice president had verbal diarrhea of the mouth because he couldn’t leave well enough alone and just keep his pie hole shut.
That got me thinking about how people react to working out when they’re sick.
“Cough, cough, cough…oh don’t mind me, I just have a stuffy nose. I’ll be alright.”
There are so many levels of stupid in that statement that my brain is aching.
Do they think that by sweating out their germs and toxins they will get well sooner? Do they even care about exposing others to their run down feelings of a weakened immune systems, runny noses and germ spewing coughing attacks?
There were some statics that came out from the Center For Disease and Control that estimated that during the flu season, up to 20% of Americans came down with the flu.
Since I’m inside the gym all the time, I started wondering if it was a good idea for me or anyone else to be coming into an enclosed facility, being around people who consciously do not mind sharing some of their DNA with other gym members, or would it be better to just hope that they kept their sick butts at home.
Dr. Rick Kellerman of the American Academy of Family Physicians seems to think the best thing a person could do for themselves is to pay attention to the warning signs your body is sending out.
“Even though it may be tempting to not break an exercise routine, working out may actually prolong the illness. And, in rare instances, “viruses can damage your heart muscle.”
Origin of the Swine Flu
Two weeks ago everyone was in a panic about the Swine Flu. The news media 
should be ashamed of themselves for “fear mongering.”
Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS and even Twitter have all played a role in creating this false sense of dire circumstances.
Although it’s par for the course, they still love shouting it out without getting all the facts straight.
According to the CDC there have been only about 20 cases of people getting the Swine Flu. The odds of catching Swine flu are about the same odds as the Dodgers Manny Ramirez standing in the outfield shagging fly balls in the month of May. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!
Now there are easy ways to prevent the flu. The biggest and most obvious way is to take precautions. For people who still fear catching the Swine flu, treat it like a normal flu.
1. Wash your hands regularly.
2. Stay inside.
3. Keep away from any thoughts of sexual relations with pigs.
The last tip is nasty just to think about. It’s also probably illegal. And you most likely won’t get the flu from rolling around in the mud with a pig. So…just don’t do it. Really…I’m serious…Don’t do it!
But wait a minute, the U.S. declared a public emergency. So it must be REALLY serious.
I’ve got news for you, that declaration was simply so they wouldn’t get caught off guard again. It’s like flood insurance for people living high up on a mountain. It could happen, so you have to be prepared. Duh!
Let’s face it, people get sick all the time. They recover when their body’s immune system combats the problem. Even the people who were diagnosed with Swine flu in this country have recovered already.
It’s just as likely that the Jonas Brothers music causes the flu. I mean it already causes brain cancer, so the flu isn’t that far off. Right?
So when should you, and when shouldn’t you exercise if you are feeling ill?
If you have the flu, shortness of breath, constant coughing, or running a fever, take the day off. It’s probably better than you rest up.
If you have a runny nose or a slight cold, bring something to wipe your nose and take it easy at the gym. There’s no sense of overdoing it and feeling worse.
Please post a comment telling me what you think…Have you ever exercised when you were sick? How did it affect you? I really value the opinion of my loyal blog readers just like you…
Do me a favor and post your comments below.
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