Feel that tingle in your throat? Thinking about hitting the gym to 'sweat out' that impending cold? Hold your horses, fitspo friends.

If you're one of those hardcore, 'thunderstruck but still truckin'' individuals, believing that getting sweaty while sniffly will speed recovery, we've got news for you. Spoiler: it isn't the news you were hoping for.

Despite your valiant but misguided intentions, tough love from Elena Zamora, MD, a family medicine physician at the University of Texas Health Science Center, makes clear that there's no hard proof that exercising while ill will yank you out of the sickness abyss any quicker.

The danger comes with the strain a workout can place on our already taxed immune systems. Especially for those with issues like asthma or underlying health conditions, exercising with a cold can escalate breathing difficulty. The likelihood of your wheezing improving because you did 50 burpees? About as likely as wanting to eat kale for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

But hey, don't toss out your gym membership just yet! Regular exercise does have its perks by forging and amplifying our immunity, thereby reducing the risk of future infections. The trick is finding a balance – strengthening your immunity without tipping the scale towards the dreaded overtraining.

Inderpal Randhawa, MD, a medical director at MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, proposes maintaining a solid workout regimen sans going full Schwarzenegger on your body. Intense overtraining can in fact weaken your gallant immune system. Not exactly the intended outcome, huh?

So what's the verdict on exercising with a stubborn cold? It's all about judgment, says Randhawa. For the gym rats among us, lower-intensity workouts can do the trick. If, on the other hand, your relationship with the treadmill is more 'it's complicated' than 'in a relationship', it's better to take a break.

Why is that, you ask? It boils down to our immune system and how efficiently blood flows in our bodies. More fitness = more efficient blood flow = faster immune cell travel to infection sites. If your blood flow is more tortoise than hare, adding exercise to the mix could up the stress on your body.

Symptoms also play a crucial role in this puzzle. Mild ones like a runny nose, or nasal congestion? A gentle stroll or some yoga should slide. Anything below your neck like fever, fatigue, and body aches? Pump the brakes on any exercise.

Upon recovery, ease back into your routine gradually. If you're feeling persistently winded or still coughing weeks after recovering, it's time to ring the doc. No workout is worth jeopardizing your health.

Exercise is excellent. Just don't get caught up believing it's a cure-all even when you're struck down by the common cold. Prioritize rest, hydration, and get professional advice if your symptoms persist. Sweating out a cold? More like sweat it out responsibly.