How to return to exercise safely after covid or long covid

Our recommendations include:

- Take your time returning to exercise. Even if you are feeling healthy again, it is very easy to over-exert yourself in the days and weeks after covid, which can cause an exacerbation of fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and secondary colds, flus and other infections due to a compromised immune system. Movement is important, however keep the intensity low to begin with. Start with easy, gentle movement (things like walks, yoga, mobility, bodyweight exercises) and slowly increase the intensity of the workouts over a couple of weeks.

- Get plenty of sleep. Minimise screen time before bed, put your devices on night mode, minimise caffeine in the afternoons and don't eat dinner too late. Plan your evenings so that you get to bed at a reasonable time.
- Avoid eating inflammatory foods and drinking too much alcohol. Eats lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water.

- Incorporate some breathing exercises. The breathing system is just like any other system: it can be trained and improved upon! This is particularly important if you are suffering with shortness of breath or poorer cardio after having had covid. If this is you, reach out. We are helping lots of patients with this. Start with practicing the 1:2:3:1 breathing technique as demonstrated here, and then progress to longer breath holds, keeping the ratio of 1:2:3:1 the same. 

- Get plenty of vitamin D and vitamin C. This may be challenging if you are isolating indoors, but if you are, sit near a window or where there is natural light. Both are really important for immune health and even in Australia people are often chronically deficient in vitamin D. 

- If you are suffering from persistent symptoms, contact your medical practitioner and have some further tests done. People are also suffering from secondary pneumonia and other issues after having had covid, which is slowing their recovery. 

Above all, remember that everyone's recovery will be slightly different. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to returning to exercise after covid. We have been putting together return to exercise plans for clients where needed. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need a little more individualised support and guidance.

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