3-Month Resistance Exercise Boosts Recovery After COVID-19, suggests study

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that adults with COVID-19-related persistent symptoms greatly improved from a 3-month resistance training regimen.

Long COVID, which is characterized by symptoms that last longer than 3 months after infection, has an impact on one's quality of life, physical and mental well-being, and ability to exercise. Resistance exercise should be evaluated to treat physical dysfunction and unmet therapy requirements in long-term COVID, given its prevalence of up to 6.9% in US adults and the paucity of high-quality trial data. Therefore, this study was assessed how a resistance exercise intervention affected individuals' exercise ability, health, and safety following COVID-19 infection.

From June 1, 2021, to April 26, 2024, 233 persons having a hospital or community diagnosis of COVID-19 infection in the previous 12 months participated in this study. There were 117 people in the intervention group and 116 people in the control group. Incremental Shuttle Walk Tests were performed by 224 people at baseline and 193 people at three months.

For 3 months, the intervention group underwent customized resistance exercise, while the control group continued to receive standard care. The distance covered (in meters) in the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test, which was conducted 3 months following randomization, was the main result. Grip strength, anxiety and sadness (as determined by the Patient Health Questionnaire), and health-related quality of life were secondary end variables.

233 persons (median age, 53.6 years; 62.7% female; 39.1% hospitalized with COVID-19) participated in this randomized study; 117 were allocated to an exercise intervention and 116 to a control group. 71% of participants adhered to the intervention on average.

The Incremental Shuttle Walk Test distance improved more in the intervention group than in the control group at 3 months (mean change, 83 vs. 47 m; adjusted mean difference, 36.5 m; 95% CI, 6.6–66.3; P =.02). Also, there were notable improvements in handgrip strength, depressive symptoms (PHQ category), and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L).

Overall, walking distance, health-related quality of life, anxiety, sadness, and grip strength all seemed to improve following a three-month resistance training program for persons infected with COVID-19. Neither adverse events nor post-exertional malaise increased as a result of the intervention.

Source:

Berry, C., McKinley, G., Bayes, H. K., Anderson, D., Lang, C. C., Gill, A., Morrow, A., Sykes, R., Taggart, D., Kamdar, A., Welsh, P., Dawkes, S., McConnachie, A., & Gray, S. R. (2025). Resistance exercise therapy after COVID-19 infection: A randomized clinical trial: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2534304. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.34304