If you’ve recently recovered from COVID-19 – or if you’re experiencing long-term effects from your infection – you probably want to get back to your normal (or as normal as you can during a pandemic) life. Part of that pre-coronavirus routine can include exercise.
Obviously, there are tremendous mental and physical health benefits associated with moving your body, and adopting a fitness routine that works for you is important. But it’s also crucial to be smart about training after COVID-19, because doing too much too soon can take you even further back.
Below, experts tell you how to start exercising again after a COVID-19 diagnosis, plus the signs that you may not be quite ready.
When to return to exercise depends on your symptoms
COVID-19 affects everyone differently. There are general guidelines for when it is safe to start sweating, but it all depends a lot on the symptoms present.
“If someone is suffering from the symptoms of COVID, they should wait for those symptoms to resolve before starting light to moderate exercise,” said Keri denay, the medical director at Briarwood Family and Sports Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a fellow at the American College of Sports Medicine. “This is usually anywhere from 10 to 14 days.” Exercising before then can worsen or prolong symptoms.
If you are asymptomatic but have tested positive for the coronavirus, you may be itching to get moving sooner. After all, exercise can help your immune system when it comes to respiratory infections such as COVID-19, according to research published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
“The immune and inflammatory response to COVID is lower in asymptomatic persons than in those with symptoms,” said Denay. However, it is still best to exercise caution and take it easy until you have fully recovered or in case you have a delayed response to the virus and start showing symptoms later than normal.
“All athletes and people exercising who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms, should rest for at least 10 days,” said Brian Grawe, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedics and sports medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “If a person tests positive but has no symptoms, the [rest period] starts on the date of the positive test. ”
Start exercising safely after a mild or moderate coronavirus infection
“Start low and go slow,” said Denay.
The best things to do are low-impact: Think walking, yoga, easy biking, or swimming. If you prefer strength training, use only your body weight or the lowest possible weight and build from there. Do not pick up where you left off in weight before you got sick.
Keep in mind that you should also start with the lowest number of reps, staying away from AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) or HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, where you can perform as many reps as possible in a set time quantity.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s helpful to use follow a 50/30/20/10 change rule for four weeks, as this study, published in the HSS Journal, recommendsThis means that your training level should be reduced by at least 50% of your normal training power in the first week, followed by 30%, 20% and 10% in the following three weeks. But again, it’s important to fit. You may have to adjust depending on the severity of your infection, and you may need “a gradual return to activity over many months rather than weeks,” said the researchers behind the study.
Both Denay and Grawe said it’s critical to constantly monitor how you feel when you resume high-intensity activities, be it your workouts or other organized sports. If you experience any of the symptoms below, stop exercising and consult a doctor before starting again.
- Chest pain or palpitations
- High heart rate not proportional to exercise level or prolonged heart rate recovery
- Shortness of breath, trouble breathing, or abnormal, rapid breathing
- Excessive fatigue
- Swelling in the limbs or muscle pain
- Pass out
- Tunnel vision or vision loss
- Fever
Ignoring these symptoms and still doing intense exercise can potentially lead to arrhythmias in people with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that causes can in some cases be caused by COVID-19 (and may even go undiagnosed or remain unknown).
“When you start exercising again, keep in mind that this is not the time to overcome discomfort, especially when it comes to chest pain, palpitations or extreme shortness of breath,” said Grawe. “Listen to your body and remember that it takes one to two weeks to get fit and get back on track. It is safest to increase physical activity slowly and return to your normal routine. “
While this can be frustrating, use this time to focus on things that can help you improve your performance and stamina that aren’t tied to sweating, such as proper hydration, stress relief, and nutrition. Remind yourself that rest can also be productive in the long run.
How long-haul vehicles should handle exercise
There’s no cookie-cutter approach for anyone when it comes to exercising after COVID-19, but that’s especially true for those with long-term symptoms, Grawe said.
“Those who are infected should pay close attention to their bodies and look for the same symptoms as someone who has fully recovered from the virus,” said Denay. “It will take time to resume previous levels of activity, and while the brain may be ready, the body cannot.”
Alternatively, Grawe said those who feel physically ready may not have recovered mentally from their COVID-19 diagnosis, so it’s important to know where you are and involve your healthcare provider if any questions or concerns arise. .
As mentioned above, it’s smart to start with low-impact work, especially if you have persistent symptoms, such as a cough or difficulty breathing. Any high-intensity work could make this worse. Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist about what their advice is for your specific case.
Above all, patience is the first thing you need to be able to train safely again. This includes resisting the urge to compare yourself to others who may have been ill and are now back in their regular workouts, as COVID-19 affects each patient differently.
“Remember, one mile is another’s marathon,” said Grawe.