Word.ws English Dictionary

above the neck rule

above the neck rule noun: a guideline for deciding whether to exercise when sick, which posits that if symptoms (like a runny nose, sneezing, or mild sore throat) are only "above the neck," light to moderate activity may be permissible, but "below the neck" symptoms (chest congestion, body aches, cough) indicate one should refrain from exercise to avoid worsening illness.

Noun

the above the neck rule

  1. A guideline for deciding whether to exercise when sick, which posits that if symptoms (like a runny nose, sneezing, or mild sore throat) are only "above the neck," light to moderate activity may be permissible, but "below the neck" symptoms (chest congestion, body aches, cough) indicate one should refrain from exercise to avoid worsening illness.
    • See also: neck rule
    • Athletes are advised to follow the “above the neck” rule if illness is mild, without fever, and affects only the mouth, nose, and throat, as in a common cold, then exercise training is permitted, perhaps with slightly reduced intensity or duration.2002, ACSM, ACSM's resources for clinical exercise physiology : musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, neoplastic, immunologic, and hematologic conditions, page 198

Forms of above the neck rule

alternative formabove-the-neck rule

Questions about above the neck rule

What does above the neck rule mean?
Above the neck rule means a guideline for deciding whether to exercise when sick, which posits that if symptoms (like a runny nose, sneezing, or mild sore throat) are only "above the neck," light to moderate activity may be permissible, but "below the neck" symptoms (chest congestion, body aches, cough) indicate one should refrain from exercise to avoid worsening illness.
What part of speech is above the neck rule?
Above the neck rule is a noun.

Words near above the neck rule in the dictionary

  1. above the curve
  2. above the fold
  3. above the fray
  4. above the law
  5. above the line
  6. above the neck rule
  7. above the rim
  8. above the salt
  9. above the table
  10. above water
  11. above-board

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: above the neck rule (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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