Had a nasty chest infection, which now seems to be clear; that is, mucous now normal coloured & no more burning sensations when I cough.
i feel fine but I’m still producing a lot of thick but not discoloured phlegm & as a result I’m very rattly when I breathe. I’m also asthmatic but my inhalers now seem to be working as normal.
ive been feeling ok but rattly chested for about 3 days now - is it too soon to resume exercise or should I wait a bit longer?
IME best to wait a few more days till it's fully gone, especially in cold and/or damp air, otherwise it'll just drag on. YMMV, though, plus gentle exercise in the warm may be fine.
Done a couple of long dog walks (6-10k) at a reasonable pace & don’t feel any worse at the end so I might risk an indoor treadmill session tomorrow.
Wait a bit. I rushed back a few years ago. Resulted in the chest infection coming back, more antibiotics, hospital visits, xrays. 3 months of illness and faff all in. So don't do what I did.
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Oh, I've got a rattly chest type infection thing at the moment. But it's only cloudy stuff, not green... Maybe I should stop riding to work at 6am. Or listen to my wife and go to a doctor. #maleidiot
I kind of just assumed that as it was probably viral it should clear up on its own...
Wait as long as you can, I ignored the early signs on a race morning last summer then rushed back afterwards.
Ended up losing a good two months, by the time I got my fitness back up it was October.
stil waiting for mine to clear from Christmas. Its not and its rubbish....
IANAD and I'm sure someone will be along to tell me I'm wrong but......
I used to be of the opinion that if it was above the neck then crack on, below the neck and stop. I've changed since; I hypothesize that if you have an upper resp tract infection (nose / sore throat, etc.) then heavy exercise and the associated deep breathing / sniffing / Inhaling of masses of phlegm and saliva and snot I think drags the muck down into the deeper parts of the lungs where it can then fester and grow and while you might not end up making it worse, for the sake of a few extra days of recovery then you might.
IMO gentle exercise is good as it helps deep breathing and clearing the muck. Howeer exercise with chest infections is also linked vaguely with sudden deth.
so my view ( and although I am a nurse this is NOT my area of expertise) is a bimble is fine even beneficial. Beasting yourself uphill is a no no
Thanks all.
A clear week after you feel "right" and then be gentle. It's not nice to get ill again.
I wouldn't go any more intensive than zone 2 heart rate (or power meter if you have one) for several days and then judge how your airways feel, before thinking about increasing intensity.
>Done a couple of long dog walks (6-10k) at a reasonable pace & don’t feel any worse at the end so I might risk an indoor treadmill session tomorrow.
This sounds ideal. A graded return to activity is what you are looking for, and as TJ points out moderate exercise is massively beneficial as it clears secretions. So, yes, hit the treadmill but don't rush into a marathon!!!! Take a look at one of those programs for complete beginners, where you start with 15 mins of running/walking, that should be perfect! 🙂