hi, i just received this notice from aus outriggers club. hope they don't mind me posting it
FYI

Paddlers seem to live by a creed that's stricter than the postman's: "Neither rain, nor hail, nor sniffle, nor fever shall keep me from my training schedule.". Oftentimes, symptoms aren't severe enough to make you stay in bed, home from work, or off the water . And while exercise can give you a mental and physical boost when you're feeling run-down, there are other occasions when going for a paddle may do more harm than good.
One way to help you decide whether to train is to use the "neck rule." Symptoms below the neck (chest cold, bronchial infection, body ache) require time off, while symptoms above the neck (runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing) don't pose a risk to continuing workouts.



Studies have concluded that training with a head cold--as long as you don't push beyond accustomed workouts--is beneficial in maintaining fitness and psychological well-being.

But, doctors say, you run a fine line. Take extra caution when training with anything worse than a minor cold because it can escalate into more serious conditions affecting the lower respiratory tract and lungs. Symptoms include runny nose, cough, headache, and facial pressure. With a full-blown sinus infection, you rarely feel like training. But if you do, consider the 72-hour rule : "No running for three days," Even without the presence of a fever, some sinus infections, when stressed by exercise, can lead to pneumonia or, in extreme cases, respiratory failure.

Temperature Control

If you're still in doubt about whether it's safe to train or not, take your temperature. Some people think that they can 'sweat out' a fever by training/paddling. That's wrong. Paddling/training won't help your immune system fight the fever."

During exercise, your heart pumps a large amount of blood from your muscles to your skin, dissipating the heat your body generates. If you have a fever, your temperature will rise even higher, and your heart will be put under greater strain to keep your temperature from soaring. In some cases, this can produce an irregular heartbeat. Also, a virus can cause your muscles to feel sore and achy; exercising when your muscles are already compromised could lead to injury.

Above all, obey your body and the thermometer--not your training program.



More to come on Paddling with injuries……………………..



Sue D

Then we should never get sick. I'm probably crook once per year for about 2 days. Lucky to considering how i train on & off the water.

XX angie