The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Going back to yoga after a cold?
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Going back to yoga after a cold?
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I haven’t been back to hot yoga class for about 4 days now. I have been sick with a bad cold/flu consisting of chest congestion, coughing and sinus pain. I am starting to feel better today and thinking of going back to class tomorrow evening. I am still coughing a little and I sometimes cough stuff up ( gross, I know…sorry :red: )
Would it be safe to go back so soon after a cold? Wouldn’t the sweat be good for me? I am not looking for anyone to give me actual medical advice, unless there are any doctors on the forum, I would just like to hear other peoples experience’s with Hot Yoga after a respitory illness. Did it make you better or worse? I would love to hear your thoughts.Thank You, going back to bed now
Nicole
Hi Nicole
Only you can tell whether you have enough energy to get to class. That is on one side of the coin. Another thing to consider is whether you are in fact infective! In such nice warm conditions it is possible that things spread more easily. There is a point where you can go back to class when it is OK for you and safe for others too!
Depending on the illness too much exertion could make it worse for you. You wouldn’t go back to yoga too soon after a real influenza or pneumonia and expect that it would fix you because sometimes these things ride against even the best hot yoga logic (or claims as a cure-all) and your body is simply not equipped to deal with the extra stress. If it is a cold and even a bad cold then you are probably OK to go back when you are feeling better – as you report.
From my experience, when I have had a cold and there is still some of that ‘gross stuff’ around, I have found that the emphasis on breathing in the moist air has been like a tonic for my lungs. Plus the inversion in Standing Sep Leg Stretching has on a couple of occasions over the years been the point where I have felt an amazing physical shift and I felt no longer clogged up. It could be different for others and I imagine we will hear different stories.
I wish you a very speedy recovery and much ease on your return – which I intuit will be tomorrow! :cheese:
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Colds are supposedly caused by bacteria. The flu (in all its variations) is a virus. When I was in the military, the mantra was, “sweat it out!” which is both right and wrong.
If you have recovered from a cold, go to yoga! If you have a virus, or the flu, stay away.
Once you get a cold, you’ve got it – your body fights it and exertion may help that.
But a virus thrives in warm temperatures. Make your body hotter, in a hot room, and that illness you thought you overcame may come back in spades, because you gave it such a wonderful environment to grow in.
Check with your doctor. I am not a doctor, but have experience in this area. Plus personal experience on this topic has held this line of reasoning to be true.
Hope this helps…
I had a similar situation a few months ago, I workout at a gym around 3 times a week and also go to Bikram Yoga once a week. So thought I was pretty fit. I had a cold and waited a few days till I was over the symptoms, I decided to go to the Yoga first as opposed to the gym thinking it would be easier on my body. When I went to that class it was the first time I had to stop doing the whole series as I felt really faint half way through, I lied down and picked it back up a couple of postures later. Bikram Yoga will certainly let you know if you are a little under par but if you listen to your body and as stated above wait till you are not infectious see how you go. Enjoy!
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