Bicycling Magazine reports being healthy and fit may help one avoid some of the more severe symptoms of COVID-19 like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), however it doesn’t make you immune from some of the more insidious effects of the disease. Even with mild to moderate cases, there is still the risk for myocarditis, inflammation of the middle layer of the heart wall, which can weaken the heart and lead to heart failure, abnormal heartbeat, or even sudden fatality.

When returning to exercises following COVID-19, HSS sports medicine physician Jordan D. Metzl, MD, advised to listen to your body. “Everyone is unique and this disease affects everyone uniquely and can affect the whole body in many ways, so there is no absolute algorithm for resuming activity as there is for a sprained ankle," said Dr. Metzl. 

Dr. Metzl and his colleagues recently published guidelines outlining considerations for returning to exercise following mild-to-moderate COVID-19. “We just need to help people return to activity in a gradual stepwise manner,” said Dr. Metzl. As a general rule, people who have had COVID-19 should be followed closely, especially in the first three to six months as they return to exercise programs. Dr. Metzl and his co-authors suggested working with a doctor and following a gradual guided activity modification plan such as the 50/30/20/10 rule developed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association Joint committee.

Read the full article at Bicycling.com.

Additional coverage: Newschannel9.com.