Your guide to returning to exercise after infection with the Corona virus

The omicron mutant has caused a new wave of infections in Australia over the past months. While most people who contracted the virus had mild symptoms, many reported feeling short of breath and lethargy for weeks.

In a report published by the British newspaper "The Guardian ", author Manuela Kalari quoted Janet Bondarenko, a respiratory physiotherapist at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, as saying that "it is normal to feel tired after a viral infection, but the pace of recovery varies from person to person." The severity of the disease as a result of Covid-19 does not necessarily mean that you will suffer from chronic symptoms."

According to Dr. Robert Newton, Professor of Sports Medicine at Edith Cowan University, the Covid-19 virus can damage various organs in the body, causing constant stress.

"The cardiorespiratory system cannot efficiently deliver oxygen to the muscles, so it becomes difficult to engage in physical activities, no matter how simple," he added.

Newton says sleep and rest help the immune system fight the virus, but it's essential to get back on the move again to avoid further weakening your body about 7 days after the main symptoms are gone.

Exercise strengthens the muscles, heart, and lungs, as well as increasing the number of mitochondria—the energy factories within cells—that resist the devastating effects of infection.

Below is a simple guide that will help you get back to exercising again. Before starting an exercise program, it is recommended that you consult a specialist from your GP or sports medicine specialist.

Practicing yoga and meditation

Some evidence suggests that practicing yoga and meditation improves lung health, reduces the risk of infection with viruses, and speeds up the recovery process from acute respiratory infections.

Newton explains that “controlling stress and anxiety is critical to the recovery process,” and adds, “It is very important to adopt strategies such as meditation, mindfulness and yoga to help the body recover from the Covid-19 infection.”

In a research paper published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers stated that "certain meditation, yoga asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing) exercises may be effective in reducing the severity of disease symptoms, including its side effects and complications."

Body weight exercises

Newton says that incorporating resistance exercises is useful for muscle activation, stressing that exercises that rely on body weight such as squats and push-ups on the knees are a good start.

You can gradually add lighter weights to your training program when you are fully recovered, using milk cartons or a heavy backpack.

Light resistance exercise stimulates the production of hormones and intercellular signaling molecules, such as cytokines, that work with the immune system to help the body recover.

Walking sport

According to Bondarenko, walking is one of the most convenient physical activities after infection with the Covid-19 virus, especially walking in the fresh air, and anyone can easily control the pace of walking.

Easy, short walks are ideal, Bondarenko says, and you can gradually increase the length and pace of your walk as long as it doesn't make you too tired or short of breath.

Don't pressure yourself

Bondarenko cautions that stressing yourself when you feel lethargic after infection with the Covid-19 virus will not speed up the recovery process, but rather hinder it, and stresses that it is necessary to gradually give yourself additional time to return to the fitness you had before infection with the virus.