Exercise and the common cold - should I choose the bike or the duvet?

Sneezing and spluttering

I'm rather cold and have a mountain tissues next to me on the desk. As I said yesterday I'm ill once again. I'm unhappy.

My colleagues are also unhappy although for different reasons and are looking at me with a mixture of disgust, distaste and very little sympathy. I wonder why?

Thankfully for myself and others, because of the joy of hot desking I've managed to find a nice desk in a far flung corner of our office where I no doubt I'm secreting my cold virus to anyone who dares come within a fee meters. Sure, I feel lousy although it could be worse.

On a different note having cold means fewer people than normal seem keen to want to disturb me which on one level makes my sore and runny nose slightly easier to bear.

Have tissue, will exercise?

Now I've always wondered. What's the story on continuing to exercise with a cold. Is it safe? Should I rest up and by getting on the bike or going for a run would I be more likely to prolong the illness further? Or should I, as the old wives tales suggests, get out and exercise albeit at a lower intensity than normal?

From a personal perspective I've always thought there's some truth in the wives tale - that a little exercise makes me feel better and breaks up the grump of a full on snot fest.

So tonight I'll do a little experiment.

I'll get on the bike (well the turbo most likely just in case I collapse from the exertion - going that 20kms from home would be somewhat problematic) and cycle for a hour and a half.

I'll take things nice and easy and drape a few towels over the bike and the surrounding walls and floors to prevent the flowing mucus from my nasal passages casing too many stains.

I'll let you know how it goes.