Just recovered from Covid-19? You must avoid exercise for 4-6 weeks, says AIIMS chief

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<strong>Those who have just recovered from a bout of Covid-19 must give at least a 4 to 6 weeks gap before resuming physical exercise as the damage caused by coronavirus to the body requires more time to heal even after the patient tests negative for the infection, according to AIIMS, Delhi, chief Dr Randeep Guleria.</strong></p>
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Dr Guleria said on NDTV that Covid-19 is a disease that we are still learning about and data now shows that that apart from the damage to the lungs caused by the infection it also leads to an inflammation of the blood vessels and predisposes clotting, leading to hypercoagulability. This raises the risk of a heart attack or stroke due to exercise.  </p>
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It is, therefore, advisable not to be aggressive about getting back to physical exercise after recovering from Covid-19. It is better to give a gap of four to six weeks and then resume gradually at a slow pace instead of trying to compete.</p>
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He pointed out that coronavirus causes damage to other parts of the body as well leading to inflammation which may be at micro level so you may not be aware of it.  This needs more time to heal.</p>
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So it is better to be cautious rather than being aggressive in going back to exercise as the damage caused by Covid-19 also has a chronic part to it which needs a longer time to recover.  </p>