While there is no doubt that exercise plays an important role in maintaining good health, you might be wondering if exercising after COVID-19 or the flu is appropriate.

Everyone wants a speedy recovery when they are unwell, but sometimes it can be tricky to know when it’s okay to power on with your exercise routine or when to take a few days off. COVID-19 and the flu can present as a mild respiratory disease, but may also cause severe illness. While exercise is very important for recovery from these illnesses, it must be done gradually and safely.

Symptoms

I like to use the “above the neck rule” when navigating symptoms. This means that if you are experiencing mild symptoms above your neck, such as sneezing, a mild cough, a headache or a stuffy nose, it’s likely that it’s okay to engage in light to moderate intensity exercise. Alternatively, if you have symptoms below your neck, such as a fever, chest pain, chronic fatigue, nausea, or diarrhoea, then it is wise to err on the side of caution and skip exercise until you feel better. These are all signs that your body needs to rest and recuperate.

Resuming exercise

When you resume exercise after illness, return to familiar light activities first and slowly increase the duration. It’s likely that you will have reduced energy, so shorter bouts of exercise are a great way to still keep active, even if it is at a lower level of exertion than you are used to. Start with 10 or 15 minutes initially and monitor your recovery. Once you have no, or very mild, symptoms you can begin increasing the frequency, duration and intensity of your exercise sessions. If you are returning to resistance training, start with bodyweight exercises and keep the repetitions low. It is important to pay careful attention to your recovery in this post-viral period so not to overdo it.

Keep an eye on blood glucose levels

In addition to modifying your exercise program, it’s also important to be aware of the changes to blood glucose levels, in response to illness and during the recovery period. When you have diabetes, illness and infection can increase your blood glucose levels, so you may need to make some changes to your diabetes management to help prevent fluctuations. It is recommended that all people living with diabetes have a sick day management plan so you can act at the earliest sign of illness and monitor your recovery. This may include checking your blood glucose levels more often and adjusting your medication, with the support of your doctor and credentialled diabetes educator.

Remember, if you’re unsure whether you should be exercising or not, always check with your doctor. An accredited exercise physiologist can also help you progress and regress an exercise program during times of illness and as you recover from COVID-19 and the flu.

By Hayley Nicholson, Exercise Physiologist and Credentialled Diabetes Educator