Hey everyone. I am stressed because I have been dealing with some sort of throat/sinus/bronchial problem for the last 2 weeks and I have only been able to go to the gym once during this time. The time I tried I felt lightheaded and weak.

I am very concerned because my normal routine consists of about 40 minutes of cardio and 40 minutesof weight training 4-5 times a week. I am sitting around feeling sick AND disgusting. I think I have lost muscle definition and strength. Is this just mental?

Should I just push myself and make myself go to the gym when I am sick, or is it okay to let my body rest while I am not feeling well? How much damage am I doing to the progress I was making by missing 2 weeks of exercise?

You need to rest!! Sometimes when you do too much, your immune system weakens and you get sick easier, its your body's way of saying, give me a break!! I hope you get to feeling better!

exactly. if you are run down, any exercising will hinder your recovery. It is possible that you will lose some definition after 2 weeks of nothing, but what you actually see is the combination of two things ... 1st, you already mentioned ... you are your worst critic, so it IS part mental. But, 2ndly, when you are working out regularly, your muscles are more constricted (flexed/tight) than when you aren't. So, after two weeks, your muscles have relaxed, giving the appearance that you have actually lost some toning. No worries, it'll be back within 2 days of re-commencing your training.

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