Myth: Donating blood will impact my ability to do my daily activities.
Medically reviewed on July 14, 2024.
Here’s the Truth
With the exception of very strenuous athletic activities, you will be able to do your normal routine the day of donation. We advise against competitive level athletics for a period of time in order to recover from the loss of oxygen-carrying levels in your blood, but for normal activities, you should be fine. We also advise against operation of heavy machinery or aircraft for a number of hours to make sure you tolerate the donation well.