How soon after flu can I get back on gym?

[Bobsledgirl]

Regular gym goer. 4 times a week. I’ve had a really bad dose of flu and have t been to gym since December 29th. Starting to feel better but went for a walk today and felt shattered afterwards.

How long would you leave it?

*In the gym

Seems like a simple answer, but when I felt ready.

I know you'll be eager to go back, but give yourself a couple more days.

Start lightly then work your way up to your usual routine!

When you feel ready. A friend of mine was still struggling for a good 6 months after flu - hopefully it’ll be a lot faster than that but take your time and if a walk is all you can manage then just do that until you can step it up.

I’d leave it until you feel fully recovered - so when you’re able to go out for a long walk at a steady pace or do all your normal non-gym activities again without feeling shattered.

I went too hard too soon at the gym once after a viral infection, and ended up with a bout of post viral /chronic fatigue which lasted around 5 months.

When you do think you’re ready to go back take it easy and monitor how you feel after each session for the first week or so.

I had an awful chest infection at the end of November, the day after a strong 10k run. Took me two full weeks to get back to training where I was t hacking my guts up.
Flu is worse so I'd wait until you're over the worse of the mucus etc

Thanks. It’s hard not to go but I’m definitely worried about post viral stuff. This has been a really bad dose of flu. Will give it another week I think.

Gym will also be full of people right now, lots of them with cold germs.

When you can go for a walk or a
Light jog and feel like you would usually do, you can start going back. You've had the flu, you've not been boozing and eating all in sight for a week. I think you'll be fine for another week or two. Give your body time to recover or you'll catch everything going.

If you are usually of the super fit mad gym type. 60 seconds of burpees will tell you how ready you are 😉
Maybe make Jan your yoga/pilates month or something?

I got Covid on New Year's Day. I've not been to the gym since NYE and I'm so wiped out that I've decided not to go next week either and then see how it goes.
It's rubbish but going back to the gym early may not aid recovery in the long term.

You really don't want post viral issues. My DIL had flu one Christmas, slogged on it was Easter before she was fit again

At least a good six weeks. It sounds madness but it takes a while to gradually build up

Both my uncle and our GP (!) dropped dead of a heart attack when they didn't take the time to properly recover from flu. Inflamed heart muscle. I gather a common risk.

Phase in gently. Gentle walking is a good start, and if that's draining, anything else will be. When that gets comfortable, phase in the weights. Do some short body weight sessions and gradually build weights back up to normal.

When you've had a good long term habit of exercise, it also takes a long time to really lose that fitness. Resting and gentle phasing in will get you back to where you were relatively quickly and weeks out of routine won't make much dent in the long term pattern.

Even mild illnesses like colds that you plod on with will make you feel sub-par for the first sessions back or a couple of weeks after. If you can move within your comfort zone without overloading yourself it does help ease that transition back, but the comfort zone is important.