Whether individuals experiencing long COVID should go for exercises? Previously, the scientific community discouraged people suffering from post-COVID from exercising because they observed that it could be harmful.
However, a recent study published by JAMA Network suggests that patients with post-COVID conditions should exercise cautiously to prevent further deconditioning1. Let’s find out what this study says.
What is Long COVID?
Long COVID is when the person contracting COVID-19 experiences symptoms that linger long after the initial infection has cleared. it is generally characterised by symptoms that last for at least 12 weeks after a person has been infected with COVID-19.
They often complain of fatigue, quickly getting tired with mental symptoms like anxiety and depression that significantly affect the person’s quality of life. Long COVID is also known as post-COVID condition.
Some of the most common symptoms of long COVID include:
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Brain fog
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sleep problems
- Anxiety and depression
What the Current Study Finds About Long COVID
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open investigated the effects of exercise on patients with long-term COVID-19. The researchers recruited 60 participants. Thirty had post-COVID conditions, and thirty were normal, healthy individuals.
Participants of both groups were tasked with completing 3 exercise trials in a randomised order.
- High-intensity interval training,
- Moderate-intensity continuous training and
- Strength training in a randomised order.
Following the trial, the researchers evaluated the patient’s physical function using cardiopulmonary exercise testing, inflammatory markers, and physiological characterisation.
Promising Findings: Exercise and Long COVID
The study’s findings suggest that exercising did not aggravate patients’ symptoms with long COVID. However, it also did not demonstrate any significant improvement in their condition. As per the press release by EurekaAlert, the study’s lead author, Andrea Tryfonos, stated, “In general, we observed that post-COVID patients performed as well as the controls, even though they had more symptoms initially. By performing as well, I mean that they did not worsen their symptoms or negatively impact their body during the 48-hour observation period.”
What is the Recommendation for Long COVID Sufferers?
The present study did not find evidence of worsening symptoms following any exercise. In fact, exercise may be safe and does not worsen symptoms in patients with long COVID. However, if you are recovering from COVID-19, you should strictly avoid going to the gym and doing intense exercise2.
People who have recovered from mild to moderate COVID-19 should start with light exercise, such as brisk walking, and gradually increase the duration and intensity. This aligns with the general recommendations for gradually increasing exercise intensity after any period of inactivity.
The author is a physiotherapist who has been practising for the last 17 years. He owns a successful physiotherapy clinic named "Physiofirst" in Rourkela, Odisha, India.
He holds a Bachelor's in Physiotherapy (BPT) from SVNIRTAR (Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation and Research), one of the prestigious physiotherapy schools in India.
Taking every pain and disability case as a challenge is his motto. Whatever he learns dealing with his patient, he shares it with the world through blogs and e-books.
He also owns a blog, www.physiosunit.com and a YouTube channel, "Sunit Physiotherapist" with over 8 lakh active subscribers. Here, he shares everything he gets to learn serving the patient. His knowledge and invaluable experience in the field are proving beneficial to many.
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