Exercise interventions for mitigating the persistent side effects of COVID-19

Abstract

AbstractFollowing infection with Sars-Cov2, a significant proportion of patients suffer from long-term symptoms afflicting many of the body’s systems. The understanding of these sequelae is still evolving, and as of the present diagnostic techniques and symptom management are still developing to effectively combat the wide variety of long-term symptoms. Many of the long-term symptoms observed following cases of COVID-19 are present in other chronic illnesses, and exercise intervention has been observed as a potent therapy for the alleviation of many of those symptoms. However, the effects of exercise regimens in the treatment of long COVID symptoms are not well documented, and there is little information regarding the nature of those interventions. A review of the available literature was conducted to determine the nature of the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) and identify the potential impact exercise intervention could have in alleviating these sequelae. Overall, intensity and modality of treatment are paramount to the success of a multifaceted exercise intervention to provide the greatest benefits to patients suffering from PASC. There are some limitations to the provision of exercise therapy as an intervention for COVID-19 patients, but nonetheless the benefits of exercise are sufficient that further research is implicated.