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When and How Should You Restart Your Workouts After Having Covid-19?

Staying healthy is most important these days while we are fighting against the pandemic Covid-19. But, there are some things to consider before you restart your workouts after having Covid-19. Covid-19 patients have suffered from symptoms like sore throat, body ache, fever, and loss of taste and smell. Though after recovery these symptoms get disappeared, yet many patients have reported weakness and fatigue that continues even weeks after the recovery. Many people have even experienced muscle pain weeks after recovery. So, exercising or getting back to workouts after having this virus might be difficult. But if you are wondering when and how should you restart your workouts after having Covid-19, then you should check the following array of our article.

When and How Should You Restart Your Workouts After Having Covid-19?

When Should Your Restart Your Workouts After Having Covid-19?

As per the BMJ, you should stick to some advice about when to restart your workouts after having Covid-19. Check them below:(1)

  • Rest for 7 days after recovering from Covid-19, if you are asymptomatic.
  • If you showed symptoms in the first place while your Covid-19 period, make sure that you are free from symptoms for at least 7 days before getting back to your workout regimen.
  • Rest for at least 10 days after you show up with the first day of symptoms, whether they are mild or not.

New Guidelines To Embrace Workouts After Covid-19

There has been a set of guidelines and considerations prescribed by the HSS or The Hospital of Special Surgery Sports Medicine Institute, New York, that was published recently. It talked about returning to exercise or workout routine after living with mild to moderate stage of Covid-19.(2) Read below to know about these guidelines.

It is recommended that people with blood symptoms or hematologic patients should begin with low-intensity exercises and must take up less sedentary behavior that would reduce the risk of blood clots.

People who had pneumonia and other respiratory symptoms during Covid-19 should rest for at least 7 days after symptoms subside and gradually return to physical activity, but only after proper monitoring of their breathing.

Patients who have had heart or cardiac symptoms are recommended to take rest for around 2-3 weeks after they stop showing up symptoms. However, people who have had myocarditis or inflammation of the heart must take rest for at least 3-6 months before starting their workouts.

If someone has been living with gastrointestinal effects of Covid-19, such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite or diarrhea, they should maintain proper calorie intake and take the proper amount of fluids while getting back to their exercising routine.

People who had joint and muscle pain or other musculoskeletal symptoms while being infected with this coronavirus should return to their workout routines gradually.

Make sure that even if you have remained asymptomatic while living with Covid-19, you should wait for a week and then return to physical activity at 50% of your usual intensity.

How Should Your Restart Your Workouts After Having Covid-19?

There are some things that you need to know about how you should restart your workouts after having covid-19. Let us see them below.

Start It Slow:

After you recover from covid-19, you need to start it slowly and not be in hurry to push yourself into intense fitness sessions. Begin only with light and slow workouts, since your body is still weak. Also, make sure not to exert yourself.

Start with Light Workouts:

A light workout routine is recommended after recovering from Covid-19. You should go for 15-30 brisk walks every alternate day. If you love intense workouts like weight-lifting, wait for at least 30 days after recovering from the viral infection. Then, you can do push-ups and various muscle-building exercises.

Start Breathing Exercises:

If you are planning to begin workouts after recovering from Covid-19, you should start your workouts with some good breathing exercises and Pranayam.

What Are The Exercises That You Can Start With After Having Covid-19?

There has been a detailed breakdown of different kinds of exercises that you should do after having Covid-19 and how to tackle them.

  • Dedicate at least 7 days to each phase of the workout.
  • If you find any phase difficult to continue, drop out.
  • Move to the next upgraded phase only when progression criteria are met.

Phase 1 Exercises: The primary goal here is to prepare yourself to return to your workout routine. Some of the exercises which can be done during these 7 days are, breathing exercises, stretching/flexibility moves, balance, and gentle walking along with rest.

Phase 2 Exercises: Here the goal should be only low-intensity workouts. Walking, light yoga, with a gradual increase of 15 minutes per day are some exercises you can do during this phase of 7 days. You should progress to the next phase only when you’re able to walk for 30 minutes at an ease.

Phase 3 Exercises: You should now have a goal, to begin with, moderate-intensity aerobic and strength training. You can go for 2 intervals of 5 minutes of aerobic exercise that are separated by 1 block of rest and add in one interval per day as you progress. Make sure that you move to the next phase only after 7 days of working out with this phase and also when you can achieve 30 minutes exercising sessions and feel recovered just within 60 minutes.

Phase 4 Exercises: In this phase, you should aim at performing moderate-intensity aerobic and strength training along with proper coordination and functioning skills. You should exercise for two days and take one day of rest in between. Progress to the next phase only after 7 days and only when your fatigue levels are normal.

Phase 5 Exercises: Your goal is to return to the regular workout regimen. So, be known that by this phase you can begin you’re your regular exercise pattern.

Some Other Workouts That Can Be Followed:

You can also go for a short walk or do some yoga and gentle pilates that will help you regain your range of movement, without pressuring you or putting excessive strain on your body. You can even include breathing exercises including Pranayam.

Some Other Tips To Follow When You Restart Your Workouts After Having Covid-19

Boost Your Immune System: It is essential to boost your immune system while you are planning to restart your workouts. You should continue taking immunity-boosting drinks after recovering from Covid-19 and also take healthy food for strengthening your immune system. You can also go for steam inhalation and practice deep-breathing exercises.

Remain Hydrated: One of the most important things that you should follow is to remain well hydrated. It is advised to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water daily for keeping your body hydrated. It is good to drink at least 200 ml of water every half an hour.

Don’t Exercise If You Still Have Symptom of Covid-19: If you still have symptoms of Covid-19 like fatigue, fever, or shortness of breath, then do not exercise. So, make sure that you rest and do not resume exercise before 7-10 days of being free from the symptoms. Moreover, if you exercise while you are symptomatic with an active viral infection, it might worsen the infection and can lead to additional complications.

If you experience symptoms like heart palpitation, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, or fatigue while exercising, immediately stop exercising and seek medical attention.

Bottom Line:

So, now that we are aware about when and how you should restart your workouts after having Covid-19, take it slow and gradually reintroduce yourself to exercising. But, make sure that you consult with your doctor before starting to exercise after recovering from Covid-19.

References:

Also Read:

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:August 3, 2022

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