Are you supposed to stop exercising completely when you're

Yeah, you should take some rest. Exercise requires a lot of energy, both during and after training. When you're ill, your body needs to fight whatever you're dealing with. That in conjunction with exercise will only make it worse.

Same goes for the flu and such.

Take a few days rest untill you're feeling all right, then wait another 2 days untill you feel perfectly fine. Those two extra days are to make sure your recovery goes as it should, even if you feel all right, you're not completely healthy again. You're still ill in that case, you just fill it less.

I know it sucks to take a few days off from the gym, I know the feel. I had the flu and went to the gym anyway, fuck that was a big mistake. I was ill for a little over two weeks, when it could have just been a week at max.

Wait it out. If you have bronchitis then you need to focus on getting better. Stressing your body through exercise (which also needs recovery time) will prolong the recovery period and damage your progress.

>>36578563
>>36578573
Don't tell anyone, but I don't actually belong here, just a lazy /v/irgin after some advice. I've had a week of very heavy rest, after overdoing it a tiny amount in the first week, now I'm just trying to get back into my regular activity so I'm not reading the whole sodding internet every day.

You're probably right though, I should be pushing myself back into my modest routine. Is full on hardcore rest the way to go, or is mild activity still beneficial? I could just leave the stairs out of my daily walk, it's still plenty tiring at the moment.

>>36578592
It's all about how you feel. Follow the steps as I described above. If you've taken proper rest, you'll be able to get back at it again at full speed. However, if you still feel a bit weak after or during exercise, tone it down and rest well.

Perhaps you could look up some professional advice on the internet for more detail.

get some brain gains

My general rule is that if I'm feeling a little run down I take it easy on exercise, usually no weights and light cardio, and if I'm feeling like dog shit I take a full day or two off, from work too, resting in bed, with good food and plenty of water. That seems to be the best way to recover, it works well, always helps me get back to normal fast.

>>36578613
I'm waking up feeling weak, that's the trouble. I don't actually feel that much worse after exertion but I doubt that means I'm fine and dandy either.

I should really go to a doctor, but I thought I'd take the manly approach to it and eschew all advice and assistance and insist that I'm fine.

That and hot brandy milk before bed.

>>36578644
I expect if I were taking better care of myself long term, a three week illness wouldn't be a possibility.

C'est la guerre.

Take a rest week. Eat plenty, sleep plenty. Don't fall into the trap of being militantly autistic about missing workouts because you will just frustrate yourself and burn out before long.

It's not going to hurt your 'gains'. Your muscle is not going to atrophy. When you're back to full strength you can pick up pretty much where you left off.

It's like people obsessing about missing workouts because they're going on a two week holiday. Don't worry about it. Chill out. Your muscles aren't going anywhere.
If you can't take time off from the gym you're too obsessed.

Thanks everyone, you've achieved a sensible-sounding consensus, going to go easy on myself for a little longer.

Do we leave the thread to die, or do you guys have any fun personal remedies to share?

>>36578713
Like I said, I'm just a lazy /v/irgin, I don't care how I look I just want my legs and cardiovascular system in working order for a few decades more.

It's nice to know that a couple of idle weeks isn't going to have much effect though, it wasn't easy for me forming the habit of going for a walk every day.

>>36578662
Yeah I've done that in the past, but since I've adapted to rest and relaxation while sick I find there's no real lingering effects of sickness. I recover much more completely.