Exercise and physical health in survivors of COVID-19: A scoping review

Abstract

Till now not so many research studies have been conducted on the body's immune response to COVID-19 infection, and it is not clear whether those who had recovered from the COVID-19 virus may get reinfected again or not. The vulnerable groups include young children and older adults who were at high risk of infected by this pandemic COVID-19. Those who had recovered from these infections also need to maintain and improves their quality of living. However, there is limited evidence regarding the exercise and physical activity that helps to maintain the overall physical functions. Therefore, this current paper was to map out empirical evidence on exercise prescriptions and physical activity for the prevention and managing the spread of COVID-19 infections. The methodological framework by the TIDIER guidelines were utilized to guide the conduct of MEDLINE complete at EBSCOhost, PubMed, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar. All authors extracted data, summarized the exercise prescription into the relevant concept, and reported the results using a chart and writing a narrative synthesis. Most of the 15 sources that were reviewed reported that the combination of aerobic and strengthening exercise with moderate intensity was considered safe to be performed by individuals under COVID-19 recovery. Moderate intensity indicates effects in enhancing the immune system, preventing cardiorespiratory system problems, and improving the cardiometabolic system. From all kinds of exercises, moderate-intensity is strongly suggested undertaken following the TIDIER guidelines. Moderate-intensity exercise was proven to have positive and safe effects that are recommended for COVID-19 survivors. It is recommended to increase the frequency of exercise from 150-300 to 200-400 minutes per week, including strengthening exercises.