Returning to exercise after COVID-19

With COVID now running rampant in Western Australia, many are facing time spent resting up at home, too sick to exercise. So once able, how should you return to exercise?

Whilst there have been many athletes that have bounced back from COVID, there have also been some that have continued to suffer persistent symptoms for months post-infection.

So here are our 4 key tips on returning to exercise post COVID:

1. Wait until symptoms have cleared

Firstly, avoid performing strenuous exercise whilst still experiencing COVID symptoms. It's recommended to wait 10 days from onset of symptoms or 7 days AFTER cessation of symptoms (whichever comes later) before starting a return to exercise. You should be able to do all your daily activities & be able to walk 500m without excessive fatigue.

2. Start easy

This might seem obvious but some people feel that because they've missed training, they need to start with a tough workout to play catch up. Not only can your body take time to recover from the illness, but there will be a loss of general fitness after 1-2 weeks off training. Initially limit intensity to 70% max heart rate, & keep the duration short around 15-30mins.  Repeat 2 of these sessions before performing at an intensity of 80% max heart rate.

We've seen a number of people returning to exercise & experiencing a higher than usual heart rate, so keep the effort low.

3. Avoid loading "spikes"

As mentioned above, unfortunately with time away from training, there will be de-training & a loss of fitness. Caution must be taken when increasing training loads to avoid creating loading "spikes".

Generally speaking, if there have been 2 weeks of no training, it can take 4 weeks to safely rebuild to pre-infection levels. As a guideline:

• In the first week back of training, aim for 25% of pre-illness volume.

• Second-week increase to 50% of the pre-illness volume

• Third-week increase to 75% of pre-illness volume.

4. Listen to your body

Lastly, if something is not feeling right when you've returned to exercise, get checked by your health professional. There have been many cases of persistent fatigue, heart & lung issues post COVID, so if in doubt get it checked.

If you need guidance in your return to exercise, please don't hesitate to contact us on 0403 258 582.