 [ Symptoms ] should i continue exercise if i have a cold or bronchitis  i developed sinus pressure and chest congestion i continued my running when my symptoms did not improve after 3 weeks i went to a doctor who gave me a steroid and an antibiotic but said it was okay to keep running i recovered mostly though i still felt the symptoms a little last night i developed a dry cough which feels again to be in my chest and i have a little sinus pressure again my exercise helps me mentally but is it the cause of my prolonged problem [ Disease ] deciding to exercise while you are sick can depend a lot on your illness and your symptoms to be honest the answer to your question often depends on who you are asking since there really does not seem to be a clear consensus or agreement i personally feel more often than not that it is best to take time to rest and recover from your illness before continuing with exercise my rationale comes from a physiological standpoint basically exercise can put a lot of stress on your body and your immune system is the only way that your body fights infections and pathogens that make you sick when you exercise you are devoting some of your body is resources towards recovery from exercise instead of recovery from illness in some instances exercise may even make you sicker or even prolong your illness you also have to consider how comfortable you would feel while exercising with some of your various symptoms medication may help alleviate some symptoms but otherwise how would you feel trying to go for a run if you are congested or have a persistent cough if you choose to exercise while sick you should consider decreasing your exercise intensity frequency or duration until you fully recover please be considerate by following proper gym etiquette if you choose to work out in a gym check out this webmd article for more input and guidance <link>