Which vaccine clans are you?
We now have 3 main types of Covid-19 vaccination that are approved by the Malaysian government: Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, and AstraZeneca. We can’t live normally until most of us are safely vaccinated! During this period, many of us started to realize how important are daily exercises to our bodies. And many started to exercise very regularly. However, are we supposed to continue our exercise routine after vaccination? Read below.
What are the common side effects after vaccination?
Don’t panic if you face any of the sides effects after your jab. That means the vaccine works! The side effects are different depending on the person’s medical history and well-being. Here are some common side effects after getting the jab:
Headache
Fatigue
Shivering
Joint Pain
Fever
Musle Ache
Nausea
Diarrhoea
Is it safe to exercise after the vaccination?
No evidence says it is dangerous to continue exercising before or after the vaccination but it might affect the quality of your exercise if you are having the side effects from vaccination. You surely will not enjoy doing sit-ups, dumbbell exercises, or even HIIT if you have muscle ache at the same time.
A press release by MOH Singapore said that a 16-year-old male had a heart attack after a strenuous weightlifting session at a gym 6-days after he had received his first dose of an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine and the investigations are still ongoing.
In line with that, The Special Committee On COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) released a guide about this and stated that to avoid strenuous physical activities for 1 week after Covid-19 vaccination particular adolescents and younger men aged <30 years old. This is for a precaution.
What type of exercise should be avoided?
The example of strenuous activities that should be avoided are:
Playing Foot Ball
Weight-lifting
Playing Racket Games
Cycling
Running/Sprinting
Swimming
What type of exercise is less strenuous?
Try to modify your exercise routine as per the side effects of the vaccine. These are the examples of moderate activities and less intense:
Brisk Walk
Stretching
Playing Board Game
Doing House Chores
What do other vaccine advisories around the world say about exercise?
Several advisories also urge their citizen to avoid exercise after receiving the vaccination including our neighbor, Singapore.
What is the recommendation from the specialist?
Dr Kenneth Ng, a consultant cardiologist at Novena Heart Centre (Singapore), thinks it is prudent to “take a complete rest from exercise for 1- week to 10 days after vaccination and one can progressively increase their activity after that”.
This precaution should apply to all individuals especially to younger people, who tend to be more active and likely to engage in strenuous activity.
Watch Out For This!
If you develop any chest pain, shortness of breath, abnormal heartbeats, or palpitations after vaccination, you should seek medical attention at the nearest clinic or hospital immediately.
The Bottom Line
It is OK if we want to do simple exercise before or after the Covid-19 vaccination, but use our own body as a measure of it. In anything that we do, always take precautionary steps ahead.
