Ugh. I don't know what to do about this. Waiting for the kids to get older and get sick less seems like a bad solution. But exercising when exhausted and sick seems likely to just end up with me being sick longer.
Mayo Clinic says don’t…
Mayo Clinic says don't exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches. But I have two small children, and every damn time I start up regular exercise, one of them catches a cold and passes it on to me -- between that and the kids still waking up periodically at night, I've had a cold with fatigue for oh, one day out of three for the last five years. And it feels dumb to exercise when I'm already exhausted and feel like I'm moving my limbs through sand just getting through the day, but I am also so tired of being out-of-shape. It feels so good when I actually do exercise. Afterwards, anyway.
YMMV, but I actually feel like a (very) moderate amount of exercise is helpful in curing my colds.
If you feel *better* after doing it, that probably means you’re doing the right thing.
My guess is that you shouldn’t do *strenuous* exercise, like a real workout, but that it’s probably not harmful (and might be helpful, and will at least keep you from being completely sedentary) to get a little mild exercise, like walking around, or whatnot.
I’ve heard the rule of thumb that if your symptoms are from the neck up, such as a sore throat or sniffles, you can go ahead and exercise if you want. Symptoms below the neck, such as fever or stomach problems, mean you should give the workouts a rest. I’ve also heard the argument that regular exercise, getting/being in shape, gives you more energy to get through your day.
Overall I second Sarah M’s comment: “If you feel *better* after doing it, that probably means you’re doing the right thing.”