With COVID vaccines slowly but steadily rolling out, the world is now a step closer to ending the pandemic. Some can’t wait to get their literal shot in the arm to their immunity, while others show reservations. Nevertheless, it pays not to get complacent; even with the vaccine, there’s still a need to practice social distancing and maintain a clean bill of health.
Among the fitness community, it raises an important question, ‘Will a vaccine affect the way they stay fit?’ The science behind vaccines is complicated, but the gist is that a vaccine works by spurring your immune system to react to the watered-down version of the disease that it brings. Thus, essentially, the vaccine will teach your immunity to fight the disease should it come to you in full force.
So, will a vaccine affect your fitness? Yes, it can. For a full explanation, keep reading.
In The Red, But Not For Long
A fitness app just this January gathered data on 1,200 members who reported receiving the COVID vaccine. Around a quarter showed a higher resting heart rate (10% above the 14-day baseline) and a lower heart rate variability (20% below the 14-day baseline). Roughly the same number had also registered their body in ‘red recovery,’ meaning it’s ill-advised for them to work out at the moment.
It’s worth noting that this was far from a full-fledged medical study. The sample size was too small to be statistically significant, and it didn’t consider other variables (i.e., responses are self-reported, which can affect data quality). Furthermore, the study also showed that the resting heart rates and heart rate variability among the respondents returned to normal after a day.
Nevertheless, it shows that vaccines can affect your workout routine to an extent. In exchange for a short time of feeling awful, the vaccine can work its magic. Generally, it’s safe to get vaccinated, but there’s something else worth taking into consideration.
Potentially Toxic Metals
Vaccines generally contain a small amount of metal compound as a preservative to prevent bacteria or fungi from proliferating. However, these ingredients have been at the heart of the great vaccine debate for decades, namely mercury and aluminum. Simply put, your body has no business storing such toxic metals.
While most manufacturers no longer favor mercury as a preservative, experts believe its successor, aluminum, can still harm the body in various ways. According to their explanation, aluminum can prevent the body from absorbing calcium, potentially leading to bone loss. In fitness, calcium plays other vital roles–from proper muscle contraction to keeping stable blood pressure during exercise.
Since aluminum is so abundant, there’s a good chance that you just ate something with trace amounts of it. In this case, it’s best to prevent too much of it from accumulating inside your body. The most effective way of achieving this is through regular urination and bowel movements.
Post-Vaccination Precautions
With this in mind, anyone who plans to get the shot soon should consider planning workouts ahead of time. Given how vaccines work, you’ll most likely be unable to perform your routine for a day or two at best. During this time, focus more on rest than exercise until the symptoms subside.
Even after that, consider working out from home for the moment. Just performing basic exercises, like squats and planks, in a spacious area like your living room can help keep you fit for days. You can substitute weights for something heavy like bags of sugar if necessary.
If you must go to the gym for your regular fitness class, follow the established rules for preventing infection. Always wear a face mask when going outside and carry hand sanitizer. Maintain proper social distancing when inside to minimize the risk of spreading. Remember that your shot doesn’t exempt you from doing your part in ending humanity’s worst pandemic since the Spanish flu.
Lastly, a healthy lifestyle matters. Getting enough sleep and eating a well-rounded diet immensely helps fight off any diseases. If you’ve been maintaining such a habit from the get-go, the vaccine’s side effects can be more manageable.
Conclusion
Whether or not you’ve already received your COVID vaccine, your fitness routine may change in some way. But one thing that won’t change with getting your shot is the need to stay fit as a fiddle. As social distancing and other measures will likely remain in place for the foreseeable future, it’s all the more reason to do so. Be confident in your healthy lifestyle, and it’ll take care of you.
