Quote Originally Posted by han-grrl
the rule for exercising when sick is that if the symptoms are above the neck, like a headache, exercise with reduced intensity. if symptoms are below the neck (fever, body aches, coughing) then dont exercise. when you return to exercise start at lower intensity. it sucks to have to stop, but if you dont' respect your body's signals then things will just get worse.

to avoid getting sick:

make sure you are taking rest days
eat properly


cheers

Hannah
I just wanted to chime in that I've also heard the above the neck/below the neck rule. Apparently phlegm counts as above the neck, in case you're wondering. Chills, fever, aches, etc. are all below the neck; so is the kind of cough that you can feel in your chest.

Also, I just spoke to a nutritionist a couple of days ago, and she said (wrt healthy times, not being sick) to take two rest days a week. You can do something very light on those days, but not something that you think of as "real exercise." She did add that if you feel exhausted from a lot of working out, to listen to your body and take a break.