Dusting your joggers and putting on your active wear can be a daunting task when recovering from COVID-19.
Perhaps the Commonwealth Games and the rapidly approaching warm weather have inspired you.
Whether it’s a quick park run or 80 minutes of football, here’s what you need to know when your sport returns.
When can I start exercising again?
Well, it’s not black and white.
Initially, the Australian Association of Exercise and Sports Physicians suggested resting for seven to 10 days when first contracting the virus, waiting for symptoms to improve before resuming very light exercise.
Since then, however, following the illness and recovery of athletes at the Tokyo Olympics, it has been established that too much rigorous or relative rest can make them ill and reduce their training.
Dr. Shan said it’s a fine line.
“In other words, [you could experience] You may lose muscle mass and take longer to recover,” she said.
COVID has affected athletes in the same way as it has in the general population, but the sooner they are in good health before infection and gradually return to light activity, the more likely they are to recover, Dr. Shang said. I got
But you can’t jump to extremes. Also, it is difficult for someone to make that decision on their own.
We are not all Olympians.
Suggestions are to return to exercise at a lighter capacity once symptoms have mostly cleared up, but most importantly, listen to your body.
What kind of exercises can you do?
If you have respiratory problems, you can’t do high-end cardio training, so don’t run a casual marathon.
He said he had to make sure he was working below the anaerobic threshold for a lot of the time during the workout, so he didn’t put too much stress on his body.
If your infection is causing heart problems, especially high blood pressure, be careful with strength training, such as lifting heavy objects, as your blood pressure can spike.
Nance suggests taking a common sense approach.
“You can’t undo what you were doing before.
“I have to be very careful not to set my goals too high from the beginning, because I’m probably still a little sick.”
A quick walk, a short bike ride, or a swim are great places to start.
What happens if you press too hard?
The reality is that if you train too hard early on, it may take longer for your COVID-19 symptoms to heal, says Dr. Shang.
A University of Oxford study of 270,000 people who had recovered from COVID-19 suggests that 10-20% of people still have at least one of the nine symptoms three months after infection. increase.
“It’s not as long as COVID lasts, it’s just that symptoms can continue to be a problem,” Dr. Shang said.
So hold on to it.
What signs should I look out for?
Symptoms that people suffer after infection include breathing problems, heart rate irregularities, fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, pains, and fatigue.
Another aspect of COVID is that it is an inflammatory condition that can affect multiple organs.
Serious red flags that practitioners pay attention to include lung and heart complications that can occur in some people infected with COVID-19.
“The heart muscle can become inflamed, resulting in chest pain only when exercising,” Dr. Shang said.
“This is something that needs to be monitored more closely.”
Seek medical advice and guidance if you have chest pain or if you are an athlete with breathing problems.
But if you don’t have these symptoms, listen to your body and take your time and slowly build up your endurance again.
Will it be difficult to return to sports after being infected twice?
Unfortunately, some people are still in the process of recovery when re-infected.
Vaccination and higher baseline fitness appear to reduce the risk of serious illness, although repeat infections have not always been shown to be mild.
But that wasn’t the case with Toowoomba player Mia Bowen Osmond.
After the second infection, she was unable to return to sports for 3 weeks.
“The first time I was fine…but the second time I didn’t feel better for about three weeks and I couldn’t train or do anything.
“I still don’t have enough lung capacity.”
Is there anything I can do to help?
Short-term use of paracetamol is recommended for symptomatic relief of early COVID-19 illness.
Athletes and anyone experiencing common post-COVID symptoms should consult a GP or sports doctor to help guide and monitor a safe return to sport.
Dr. Shan said optimizing mental health support, sleep, good nutrition, and not overdoing it in combination with “pacing” is recommended.
If you think you have symptoms weeks after being infected, you can talk to your doctor about attending the lengthy COVID clinics set up at many state hospitals.
I am nervous!
Uncertainty about how your body will respond to physical activity after COVID-19 can be nerve-wracking, especially if you were at a strong fitness level before getting sick.
I can be disappointed when I don’t feel great, but my endurance isn’t what it used to be.
“It’s a very frustrating process that can lead to low mood and low self-confidence,” Dr. Shang said.
But we all know that the post-workout endorphins are worth it.
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