How soon can you exercise after getting Covid-19 and what can you eat? Here are some tips
Published on
29 Mar 2022
Published by
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - Hoping to get back to your usual fitness routine as soon as you can after recovering from Covid-19?
Not so fast. Experts warn that recovered persons should do so at a low intensity before gradually increasing the frequency of exercise.
If you are still recovering at home, here are tips on how to disinfect your room, and also quick recipes for dishes that could hasten your healing.
Exercising after Covid-19: Don't rush back to your workout routine
It has been over a month since digital forensics investigator Corstiaan Stofregen recovered from Covid-19, but he is still struggling to get back his stamina.
The 29-year-old, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive on Feb 13. He had high fever, cough and bodyache and felt fatigued for a week before he tested negative on Feb 19.
Two weeks after he recovered, he returned to exercising by walking on a treadmill and cycling on a stationary bike, but felt breathless within a minute.
While people who have recovered from Covid-19 may hope to get back to their fitness routines as soon as they can, experts warn that they should do so at a low intensity before gradually increasing the frequency and intensity of exercise according to their tolerance.
What exercises to do during Covid-19 home recovery
Being isolated in a room while recovering from Covid-19 may cause patients to become inactive. But fitness trainers say people should exercise to boost their energy.
Ms Krystle Theseira, a fitness trainer at Level Gym in Telok Ayer, says: "Doing low-intensity exercises can improve blood circulation, reduce back pain and maintain one's mobility during extended periods of inactivity."
Ms Theseira, and Ms Lynette Huang, a personal trainer team leader at True Fitness at ESR BizPark @ Chai Chee, share five exercises that Covid-19 patients in isolation can do.
Two recipes to help you beat Covid-19 blues
Down with Covid-19 and recovering at home? If you feel well enough to cook or have a family member who can whip up a meal for you, here are two quick recipes to hasten your healing.
Take comfort in a bowl of pumpkin multigrain porridge.
Or you can go for the baked Indonesian-style chicken recipe. It is adapted from one by Changi General Hospital (CGH), which has the dish on its menu for Covid-19 patients.
What not to eat when you are down with Covid-19
Your head is pounding, your throat is sore. You have a persistent cough and feel very fatigued. You might not be able to smell and taste your food.
Yes, you are one of tens of thousands of people in Singapore who have come down with Covid-19.
The temptation is to order in, to snack while holed up in your room, or maybe to have a stiff drink or two. If you want to feel better and recover, hold your horses.
Young children in Covid-19 isolation: Tips on how to care for them
How should parents explain to a young child why he needs to be isolated from his family, including his siblings, during Covid-19 home recovery?
How do you keep a child calm during an oxygen level reading?
How to disinfect your room while recovering from Covid-19 at home, and other precautions
Many Covid-19 patients can recover at home in Singapore.
But there is a higher risk of other people living in the same home becoming infected with the virus. Hence, there is a need to take more thorough precautions.
Experts share tips on how people can maintain hygiene and cleanliness during home recovery.
What movies to watch while isolated at home when you are down with Covid-19
Covid-19 home recovery may sometimes feel endless. For the sake of your mental health, the feeling of fragility must be taken into account when making a film playlist.
Obviously, that rules out films in which pandemics are a plot device, nor anything that rides on doom. Picking the wrong comedy is worse than picking no comedy at all because the failure to connect might make you feel worse.
With that in mind, here is a list of films that sneak up on you - even if you are rewatching it.
Keep calm and read on... in Covid-19 isolation: Seven books for solitude
Being grounded at home for a long time due to Covid-19 might leave you feeling sorry for yourself.
Here are seven books about fictional lives in isolation to keep you company while you are on home recovery.
Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.
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