TBH, what covid scares me are the after-effects — brain fog, difficulty in breathing…. rather than the virus itself. I turned negative last week but my energy level hasn’t really come back yet
I finished Maclehose 1–2, the first hike after I recovered. Damn! I overestimated myself and thought I was still in the condition before sickness. So it should be easy peasy as there is only a mountain. But clearly, I was wrong. I almost fainted in the last 2km (probably because I drank all the water too) My legs are so sore the next day and I can barely walk!
After that hike, I acknowledged that I still haven’t fully recovered, at least not in the previous condition. It was so frustrating to see myself not feeling strong, so I decided to rest more and take a step back from exercising to give my body time to adjust. You know, sometimes you just have to give your body time.
PS I got 3 shots (biotech), so what I am experiencing might be different.
Rest. If you know me well, sleep is always my priority — go to bed early, sleep at least 7 hours… But one thing I did avoid is taking naps, as it affects my sleeping quality. Since I was sick, I always feel sleepy in the afternoon (dont know if it is related to covid hahahaa) But anyways, I allow myself to rest more, taking naps whenever I needed to. Resting enough just helps everything, especially for your energy level. With enough rest, I did feel my other hikes in the next few days are easier.
Exercise moderately. This is particularly hard for sports/ fitness lovers. It just feels so uncomfortable not moving around, I missed hiking most during quarantine as I can still exercise at home. Some might think that their performance level drops significantly, so we tend to push ourselves very hard when we feel better, trying to gain the strengths back.
My doctor said it takes around 2–3 weeks to fully recovered from covid, including physical strengths. No wonder I feel very tired after the hike. Yeah, and after that experience, I decide not to push myself too hard. Walk slower, not going too difficult hikes.. I don’t want to be injured/sick again and have to rest even longer hahaha
But I do believe that it is good to get some exercises for faster recovery, and sometimes you may have to push yourself a little further. Being too lenient makes it harder to start later. Still, listen to your body and stop when needed.
Nutrition should be on your priority list too. Eat well and fuel your body with nutritious food aka whole foods. Eat and sleep are two fundamentals of our life, they should come before exercising.
As I mention, these are actually common sense, you should also prioritize them for your own health. But how many people actually do it? Said is easier than done. I do hope that after the pandemic, especially those who get the virus unluckily, people will realize the importance of health.
