The Flu and the Gym

There’s a phrase many of us grew up with:

“Just push through.”

I certainly did.

I was raised by Eastern European post war parents and resilience was considered a virtue above almost everything else. You got on with it. If you were tired, sore, stressed or slightly unwell, you kept moving. Rest was reserved for people who were practically unconscious.

And honestly? That mindset served me well in many ways. It taught discipline. Commitment. Work ethic.

But over the years, both personally and professionally, I’ve realised there’s a big difference between resilience and ignoring what your body is trying to tell you.

My husband’s family had a completely different philosophy. If you were unwell, you rested. You gave the body space and time to repair. At first I found this baffling. Surely resting meant weakness? Surely we should “push through”?

Turns out… not always.

Working in the health and fitness industry has dramatically shifted my thinking. I now spend my days helping women train smarter, not just harder. And one of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is this:

Injury and illness are not the same thing.

If you have frozen shoulder, hip bursitis, an Achilles issue or a cranky knee, there is often still plenty you can train safely. In fact, appropriate exercise is frequently part of recovery. Research consistently shows that strength training improves joint support, muscle retention, mobility and long term function, even when parts of the body are temporarily limited.

But viral illness? Different story.

When you have a genuine cold or flu, your body is already doing a huge amount of work behind the scenes. Your immune system ramps up inflammatory responses, increases metabolic demand and diverts energy toward fighting infection. Adding intense exercise on top of that can impair recovery and, in some cases, prolong illness.

There’s also the small issue of… everyone else.

As a PT, flu season creates an annual dilemma. Clients are incredibly dedicated. I genuinely admire it. Women arrive at the gym after sleepless nights, stressful work weeks, caring for ageing parents, raising kids, managing menopause and somehow still showing up consistently.

But sometimes the bravest and smartest thing you can do is stay home.

Not because movement is bad. Movement is wonderful. Light movement during mild illness can even feel beneficial for some people. But smashing yourself through a hard session while feverish, coughing and exhausted isn’t “commitment”. It’s usually just delaying recovery and generously sharing your virus with half the gym at 5:45am.

And may I gently remind everyone that menopausal women are often already dealing with disrupted sleep, fluctuating recovery capacity and increased systemic stress. This matters. Research shows poor sleep and chronic stress can impair immune function and recovery processes.

The old “no pain no gain” mentality sounds impressive until your entire household is sick for three weeks because someone wanted to prove they were tough enough to do kettlebell swings with a fever.

These days my philosophy is far more nuanced.

Train through laziness? Probably.

Train through mild stiffness? Often.

Train around injuries intelligently? Absolutely.

Train through the flu while coughing on everyone? Hard no.

The irony is that rest is not weakness. Recovery is part of training. The adaptations we want from exercise, stronger muscles, healthier bones, better cardiovascular fitness, improved metabolic health, happen after the session when the body repairs itself.

Sometimes the most athletic decision is knowing when not to train.

And if you’re wondering whether missing a few sessions during flu season will ruin your fitness, the answer is reassuringly no. Research shows short periods of reduced training have minimal long term effect for most recreationally active adults, particularly if overall consistency across the year is strong.

So this winter, maybe we redefine toughness a little.

Not “pushing through at all costs”.

Not treating exhaustion like a badge of honour.

Maybe true strength is listening to the body early enough that it doesn’t need to scream at you later.