A: Not necessarily. "If the symptoms are above the neck, like a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, or sore throat, exercising should pose little or no risk," says Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. "In fact, mild to moderate exercise has been shown to help boost immune system function." But if your symptoms include body aches, chest congestion or tightness, and a hacking cough, workouts should be postponed.
A: If running 5 km is your aim and you have poor cardio fitness, the first thing you need to do is cast out any doubt you might have of yourself. Don’t say you are going to try for 5km, say you are going to do it. Running has a lot to do with mindset. Second of all, you need to pace yourself. Don’t go out on your first run and expect to be able to run 5k. Start off with intervals: walk for 2 minutes, run for 1 minute and next time walk for 2 minutes run for 2 minutes. Then you can build yourself up to a 2 km walk/run and work your way up. I recommend getting the run keeper app and registering for a 5km course. It breaks it down simply and within weeks, if you follow it, you will be running 5km. Finally, make sure you are eating enough. One big mistake people make is running on a totally empty stomach and they burn out after a couple of minutes of running. Eat well, time your food around your runs; food is fuel.
The basic way to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175. This is the maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute during exercise.
Once you know your maximum heart rate, you can calculate your desired target heart rate zone — the level at which your heart is being exercised and conditioned but not overworked.The American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a general target heart rate of:
Moderate exercise intensity: 50 to about 70 percent of your maximum heart rate
Vigorous exercise intensity: 70 to about 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Most studies recommends a target heart rate of 65 percent to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate for moderate-intensity exercise.If you're not fit or you're just beginning an exercise program, aim for the lower end of your target zone. Then, gradually build up the intensity. If you're healthy and want a vigorous intensity, opt for the higher end of the zone.
