When to Skip Your Workouts

Do you believe that you need to sweat out a cold or the flu at the gym?

If so, you're mistaken. Your body doesn't sweat out toxins during exercise, according to the War Memorial Hospital in West Virginia. Rather, your immune system works better when it's not stressed.

Moderate exercise can help boost your immune system, thereby decreasing the chance that you will catch a cold or the flu.

But a hard workout when you are already sick can impair your immune system for several hours, making your illness worse.

Once you're feeling better, give your body an extra few days to recover before you resume working out.

Allow three to four days of rest after a bad cold and at least a week after the flu.

When you return to your routine, practice the 50% rule-decrease your usual exercise time by half and go half-speed on the treadmill or exercise bike until you regain your strength and endurance.