Can You Exercise With COVID-19? Tips for Returning to Workouts Safely

Can You Exercise With COVID-19? Safety Tips and Precautions

Exercise is important for overall health, but recovering from COVID-19 brings unique challenges. Knowing when and how to restart physical activity safely after having COVID is crucial.

While exercise has many benefits, jumping back in too soon after illness can hinder recovery. Those who experienced moderate to severe COVID symptoms may need to take extra precautions with post-COVID workouts.

Lets discuss when its safe to exercise again after COVID-19, types of workouts to try or avoid, and tips to ease back into training while preventing complications.

How Long to Wait to Exercise After COVID-19

Current guidance recommends waiting until all major COVID-19 symptoms have fully resolved before returning to exercise.

For mild cases with flu-like symptoms, it is reasonable to wait:

• At least 7 days after a positive test with no lingering symptoms
• At least 10 days after symptom onset

With more moderate sickness involving chest congestion, shortness of breath, fatigue and elevated heart rate, wait at least 10-14 days after symptoms improve.

For severe COVID cases involving hospitalization, especially with heart or lung complications, experts recommend waiting 3-6 weeks or longer before exercising again as advised by your doctor.

Talk to Your Doctor First

Check with your physician before restarting exercise after COVID-19, especially if you had moderate to severe illness. They can perform exams and testing to determine if you're ready.

Your doctor may recommend further lab tests, chest x-rays, EKGs, echocardiograms, cardiac CT scans or more depending on your condition and symptoms while sick.

Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs for post-COVID recovery are also available in many hospitals and clinics. These specially designed rehab programs help guide heart and lung patients back into exercise safely under medical supervision.

Warning Signs Not Ready for Exercise

Pay attention to any of these warning signs that indicate you may not be ready to exercise again yet after COVID:

• Chest pain, tightness or pressure
• Racing, irregular or abnormal heart rate
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue, muscle weakness or exhaustion
• Coughing that worsens with exertion
• Difficulty with ordinary physical activities

Stop exercising right away if you experience any of these. See your doctor to evaluate your current health status and recovery timeline.

Starting Light Exercise After Mild COVID-19

After resting through the isolation period, you can begin some light physical activity once any lingering mild symptoms fade.

Start with short, low-intensity workouts like:

• Walking
• Light yoga or stretching
• Leisurely biking or rowing
• Easy swimming

Aim for just 10-15 minutes at first. Slowly increase the duration and intensity of workouts over the next 2 weeks if you remain symptom-free.

Monitor your energy levels closely. Stop if you feel any chest discomfort, fatigue, muscle aches, rapid heart rate, or shortness of breath.

Resume Exercise Cautiously After Moderate to Severe COVID-19

Those recovering from more significant COVID-19 illness need to take extra precautions when starting light activity again.

After the isolation period ends, simply focus on activities of daily living and light household chores. Avoid lengthy cardio or strength training.

Walking around your home is a good starter exercise after moderate sickness. Once any lingering symptoms resolve, keep workouts to 5-10 minutes for the first week.

Those with severe cases involving hospitalization should follow advice from their care team on when to resume any physical activity. This may take many weeks or months.

Patients in cardiac and pulmonary rehab programs benefit from customized exercise progression under medical supervision based on their condition.

Best Types of Exercise Initially

What are the safest workouts to try after recovering from COVID-19?

Here are smart options to start with while rebuilding strength and stamina:

Walking

Brisk walking outside or on a treadmill is an ideal post-COVID exercise. Monitor your heart rate and aim to stay under 100 bpm initially.

Yoga and Stretching

Gentle yoga helps improve breathing and body awareness without taxing the body much. Focus on chest and shoulder opening poses.

Stationary Cycling

Leisurely cycling or recumbent bikes are low-impact options that reduce strain on the lungs.

Strength Training

Light strength workouts with your own bodyweight, resistance bands, or very low weights can help regain muscle safely.

Swimming

Doing laps in the pool allows cardiovascular and muscle benefits with less breathing effort.

Listen to your body's signals closely. You may tire more easily initially. Give yourself permission to rest as needed between workouts.

Exercises to Avoid at First

Certain strenuous activities may be better to hold off on while rebuilding your exercise tolerance.

Avoid:

• High intensity cardio like running, HIIT workouts
• Endurance or power lifting
• Contact sports and competitive games
• Hot yoga or hot pilates classes
• Stair climbing machines

These vigorous exercises can spike heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and body temperature too high after COVID illness.

Wait until you can handle 30 minutes of moderate exercise comfortably for a few weeks before attempting short intervals of higher intensity training again.

Tips for Safe Post-COVID Workouts

Keep these tips in mind when easing back into exercise after having COVID-19:

• Talk to your doctor first, especially with moderate to severe cases
• Start very slowly and gradually increase duration
• Monitor heart rate and oxygen levels if possible
• Focus on low impact cardio and bodyweight strength training
• Listen to your body and rest when needed between workouts
• Stay hydrated and avoid overheating
• Wear a face mask if exercising indoors around others

Benefits of Exercise After COVID-19

Once your doctor gives the all-clear, exercise has many benefits during post-COVID recovery, including:

• Improves cardiovascular and respiratory function
• Reduces fatigue and body aches
• Helps alleviate anxiety and depression
• Aids muscle strength and recovery
• Restores energy levels and endurance
• Supports immune system health

Follow medical guidance to safely progress activity levels tailored to your unique situation and health status.

Precautions for High Risk Groups

Certain populations may face higher risks with post-COVID exercise and need to take extra precautions.

People Over 65

Older adults who were moderately to severely ill with COVID-19 should be very cautious about resuming physical activity.

The risks of heart complications and other long-term effects increase with age. Follow your doctors specific advice closely.

Those with Pre-existing Conditions

People with conditions like heart disease, diabetes, COPD and hypertension face higher risks of complications with post-COVID exercise.

Carefully monitor oxygen levels with a pulse oximeter during activity. Stop if oxygen saturation drops below 90%.

Smokers

Smoking damages lungs and increases COVID-19 severity. Allow additional recovery time before exercising after illness.

Use low intensity workouts and stop immediately if any coughing or breathing issues occur.

Obesity

Those with obesity often experience more severe COVID-19 symptoms. Extra recovery time before exercising is advisable.

Focus on gradually ramping up low impact cardio to rebuild exercise tolerance without strain.

Athletes

Competitive athletes who had moderate to severe COVID-19 need to be very cautious about returning to intense training.

Sudden strenuous workouts could increase risks if the heart or lungs were affected. Follow guidance from your sports medicine doctor.

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Exercise Ability and Performance

For some people, especially those hospitalized for severe COVID pneumonia, it may take 6 months to a year to fully recover pre-illness exercise capacity and lung function.

Studies show COVID-19 can damage lung tissue, reduce oxygen uptake, decrease vascular function, and injure heart muscle even after mild infections.

Research on long COVID-19 finds many patients continue experiencing fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, brain fog, and other symptoms months after recovering from initial infection.

Post-COVID exercise intolerance and poor endurance may persist long term. Work closely with your healthcare providers for ongoing monitoring and appropriate testing.

While further research is still needed, carefully paced exercise programs seem to help some patients improve long-term COVID-19 complications and restore prior activity levels.

The Bottom Line

Returning to exercise after COVID-19 requires patience, caution, and guidance from your doctor. Allow adequate recovery time before restarting light activity, especially with moderate to severe cases.

Slowly rebuild endurance and strength over a period of weeks. Avoid anything too strenuous initially. Listen to warning signs from your body and don't overdo it.

While COVID-19 can negatively impact exercise ability, recovery is possible in most patients through smart training tailored to your unique health status and needs.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.