Get in shape: when to start exercising after COVID-19 infection

It has been almost a year and a half since WHO declared a coronavirus pandemic. At the end of July 2021, 182 million people in the world were ill. In Russia, the figure has passed 5 million.

COVID-19 is much more dangerous than influenza with its unpredictability, higher mortality and the percentage of severe forms, the presence of complications and a longer recovery period.

Elena Ryabinkova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, sports doctor, rector of the Ben Vader College of Fitness and Bodybuilding, tells us how dangerous coronavirus is and how to better organize your sports rehabilitation after the disease.

How insidious is the recovery period?

The consequences of coronavirus infection can occur several months after recovery, when complications were not expected.

Even in those who have transferred the infection asymptomatically, not everything is not so smooth: sooner or later and they can sharply deteriorate. During the acute period of the disease is similar: the patient may feel fine for the first few days, and then everything deteriorates sharply, develops acute respiratory distress syndrome and the person is transferred to artificial ventilation.

The recovery period is as unpredictable as the virus itself: you never know how long the rehabilitation will last, what complications will occur and when and how they will manifest themselves.

Constant exhaustion and frightening fatigue is the biggest obstacle to returning to the usual life and training.

The line between benefit and risk

Over the course of the COVID-19 study, sports physicians’ recommendations for resuming physical activity have changed significantly. Whereas at the beginning of the pandemic, the advice was to start moving as soon as possible after illness, this is no longer the case. In the literature there is more information about the fact that even in professional athletes, the disease often leads to complications of the heart, kidneys, provokes the formation of blood clots and leads to death.

Sports doctors recommend a very careful approach to the resumption of training, do it gradually, and increase the load slowly, carefully reduce all the risks, passing comprehensive testing.

Above all, it is important to remember the cardiac risks – myocarditis, arrhythmias and thrombosis. These complications are described as the most common and likely causes of death when exercising after coronavirus.

People who have suffered severely from the disease are advised to undergo medical rehabilitation before resuming exercise. Recommendations for recovery are different everywhere. Doctors have to rely heavily on their experience with other diseases with similar symptoms.

Do not forget about the insidiousness of the virus: you can not rush, but also not recommended to lie still.

When can I start exercising?

It is best to consult with your doctor. If this is not possible, then it is necessary to answer the following questions:

1. What was the severity of the disease?
2. Were the lungs affected?
3. Were other organs and systems affected?
4. Were there any complications?
5. Do you have comorbidities that increase the risk of complications: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, previous heart attacks and strokes, immune deficiency?

If the disease is asymptomatic, you can resume sports two weeks after a negative test. If the patient was on outpatient treatment – after a month, if there were complications and lung damage – at least two months, and if the patient was connected to a ventilator, he will need a break of at least six months.

Recommendations for a safe return to exercise:

1. Take your time and set yourself up for a long recovery.
2. Start training according to the severity of the illness, lung damage and co-morbidities and follow a safe return to exercise timeline.
3. Determine the damage to the body caused by the virus. Assess loss and degree of detraining: body quality, muscle, physical attributes, performance, strength, endurance, exercise tolerance. Work on making up for the lost time.
4. Find helpers and remember that recovery is a task for many specialists: trainer, nutritionist, massage therapist, kinesiologist, physiotherapist, phytotherapist, psychologist.
5. Do not wait for universal recipes and recommendations. Everything is individual. Listen to your body, see if it goes / does not go. Quickly change tactics if there are no expected results. Carefully record everything and keep a diary of self-monitoring – pulse, blood pressure, weight, calories, energy expenditure, recovery time after exertion, number of steps per day, etc.
6. Treat the disease as a new opportunity – new workouts and new experiences, new foods and delicious recipes, new like-minded people and friends.
7. Reduce your risks and get preventive screening and testing.