The Shingles keeping me from working out.

Agree with everyone else, it really depends:

I normally work out when I am starting to get sick especially if it may be allergies not an actual cold, but even with a cold. That said, sometimes the sickness needs all your resources to recover, or even worse the exercise could make it worse. For example I had mono and decided I was going to push through it when I was younger. The exercise is an awful idea with something like that because you have an extremely high chance of rupturing your spleen (obvious extreme) during that illness.

It depends. If I have a sniffle, I find that a workout helps to open my nasal passages. If I'm hacking up a lung, I take it easy for a few days. It's kinda hard to exercise when you can't breather properly.

How long did the doctor tell you you'd be out of commission because of the shingles ? I know you want to get back into a groove, but you don't want to start working out while your immune system is still weak. Trying to exercise might just make you feel much worse and could cause you to be sick for longer. The right amount of exercise will keep us fit, too much can break down our immune system.

Try not to worry. When the weather as well as your health improves, walking would be a good way to slow ease back into a routine.

Mostly, don't beat yourself up because you can't exercise. you do have a legitimate reason. You're not a slacker because you need to take some time off.

For me... it depends on what the "sickness" is. If it's something where exercise makes it worse, I wouldn't work out. Personally, while I think exercise is important... I don't think it's wrong to take a little break from it while I'm incapacitated from a physical ailment. If I could do some chair exercises or some resistance band exercises and not make things worse-- I'd try doing those. There are a ton of videos on youtube, plus lots of stuff here on Spark, where you could try doing 10 minutes of something that doesn't aggravate your pain. Sometimes I'll put the laundry away one pair of socks or underpants at a time, just to get a lot of steps in, even though it's not a great big calorie burner. It's *something*. Plus while I'm busy doing something, it can take my mind off the pain and give me something else to focus on for a little while.

I've had the Shingles for about a week now and am feeling a little better each day. I don't know what makes me feel worse, the Shingles or not working out (no energy or motivation because of the pain). Today I was ready to go for a walk but as I stepped out the door the heavens opened up. I took that as a bad sign and even though the rain has stopped I have retreated. Do you work out when you're sick?