Getting Back into Training After COVID

Returning to your exercise routine after contracting Covid can be challenging. You may be lacking in energy and strength, making you feel like you’re back at square one. You may even be still unwell as you deal with the effects of long covid. 

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recently released some guidelines to help people get back into training post-Covid. In this article, I’ll share their key recommendations. 

Base Your Plan on Your Covid Severity

The ACC recommends that you first make an assessment of your level of covid severity and then base your return plan on it. If your covid symptoms involved heart or lung problems, then you should consult your doctor before returning to any type of exercise routine. 

The ACC guide reads …

For athletes recovering from COVID-19 with ongoing cardiopulmonary symptoms concerning myocarditis or myocardial involvement… further evaluation should be performed before resuming exercise.

The symptoms of cardiopulmonary illness are chest tightness, breathing difficulty, heartbeat irregularity, and being lightheaded.

If you had to go to the hospital because of Covid, you should also consult your doctor before returning to exercise.

You should also consult your doctor if you had heart problems before getting covid.

If you are in isolation due to covid, you should not exercise during that time.

According to the ACC guidelines, people who did not suffer severe cardiovascular complications from Covid, you will be able to return to exercise three days after receiving a negative covid test.

Beyond these guidelines, you should base your return to exercise on how you feel. Your body needs time to receive before having to face the extra stress of exercise. So, be sure to give it all the nutrients it needs to rebuild immunity. That means taking in plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, dairy, and whole grains.

Gradually Resume Exercise

Once you actually get back to the gym after covid, you will probably want to jump in right back where you left off. But that is not a good idea. Your body needs time to get back to that level. As a result, you should gradually build back your workout intensity.

You will probably have lost as much as 50 percent of your cardiovascular capacity and strength levels. I recommend starting back with 50 percent of the weights and 50 percent of the volume that you were doing when you stopped exercising due to covid. Even if this feels too little, resist the urge to do more. At this stage, you're just getting your back into the rhythm of exercise. 

Depending on how your body feels, increase both resistance and volume by 10 percent per week until you are back at your pre-covid level. At this rate, it will take six weeks to ease back to that level. 

Wrap Up

When you’re returning to workouts after covid, recovery is more important than usual. Be sure to get 7-8 hours per week, eat a 50:50 carb-protein meal within an hour of your workouts and do some light active recovery exercise on your off days. Above, all, listen to your body and allow it to be your guide as you return to exercise post-covid.