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As 2025 rolls on, you may have a re-invigorated exercise routine as one of your resolutions. The new year can be a great way to get back in shape and stay healthy, but going to the gym or getting back into jogging comes with unique challenges to your ears, nose, and throat that can be mitigated with these tips.
IN THIS ARTICLE...
- Exercise & ENT Tip #1: Sanitize your equipment
- Exercise & ENT Tip #2: Use a spotter
- Exercise & ENT Tip #3: Stay hydrated
- Exercise & ENT Tip #4: Wait after eating
- Exercise & ENT Tip #5: Rest
Exercise & ENT Tip #1: Sanitize your equipment
Late December, January, and February are arguably the peak months for gym memberships as people begin their New Year’s resolutions. While you will get to see a lot of friendly faces, the extra bodies in the room mean a higher risk of getting sick. Be sure to sanitize your workout area before and after you complete an exercise, including your bench, free weights, and equipment.
Your headphones and earbuds are not immune from sanitation either. Constant use can prevent earwax from leaving your ear canals, leaving you susceptible to infection. This can also occur without routine cleaning, so be sure to do so after every use.
Exercise & ENT Tip #2: Use a spotter
For those who enjoy weight training, free weights like barbells and dumbbells can target multiple muscle groups at once. If you’re not careful while you’re lifting, they can also target your nose, cheeks, and throat and cause significant or even fatal injuries.
The best practice when weight training is to have a spotter nearby who can recognize when you are unable to complete a repetition and help you remove the weight. If you are exercising by yourself, it may be wise to lower the amount of weight you are using to one where you can safely remove it after your set.
Exercise & ENT Tip #3: Stay hydrated
Exercising in the gym, at the park, or on the basketball court exerts a lot of energy and a lot of sweat. Aside from the sanitation factor of sweating, not being properly hydrated can reduce your ability to breathe properly from your nose or your mouth. It can also lead to a dry, irritated, and sore throat that persists after your workout.
A few hours before your workout, you should drink at least twenty fluid ounces of water to maintain your hydration. While exercising, you should also be consuming between 7 to 10 fluid ounces of water every ten minutes to replenish yourself.
Exercise & ENT Tip #4: Wait after eating
Waiting an hour after eating before swimming is more than a wives' tale. Even though you may not be in the pool, the advice is sound: your body is still working on digesting food after eating and beginning and exercise routine can disrupt that process. Along with the gastrointestinal issues it may cause, starting your workout too quickly has the potential to cause your stomach acid to regurgitate back to your throat (acid reflux), leading to throat irritation and belching.
A little patience goes a long way, and waiting at least an hour after you eat can be wise for your throat health.
Exercise & ENT Tip #5: Rest
You know your body better than anyone else, so you know when it needs to take the day off. Light exercise might be beneficial when you are sick, but it runs the risk of getting others ill and affecting their own ears, noses, and throats. Between this and returning to your workouts after not taking proper recovery days, you are also more likely to use poor form during your movements and risk injuring your nose or throat as mentioned earlier. Simply put, just rest and get ready for the next session.
Dr. Lindsey Trefz, a CEENTA otolaryngologist who practices out of our Monroe office, also stresses the importance of rest when you have lingering issues like a stuffy nose. “It is also important to treat nasal congestion and obstruction to optimize your nasal airway and breathing while exercising. If your nasal breathing is still difficult even after taking time to rest, please schedule a follow-up appointment with your physician to get evaluated.”
These tips will help you when you’re getting back into your exercise rhythm, but what if you’re dealing with ENT issues outside of the gym? If you’re experiencing ear infections, chronic sinusitis, sore throat, or constant congestion, turn to the experts at CEENTA. With nearly twenty offices in the Carolinas and award-winning ENT physicians dedicated to your care, you’ll receive the treatments you need to get you back on track. To schedule your same-day ENT appointment with Dr. Trefz at our Monroe location today, use our online scheduling tool or myCEENTAchart if you are an existing patient.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New patients can make appointments online with our doctors in North and South Carolina. Current patients can also make appointments through myCEENTAchart with physicians they have already seen.
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