Since the start of confinement, messages and images of people doing sports abound. If keeping in shape is essential, be careful not to overdo it so as not to cause heart risks in this period of viral epidemic.
- During the period of confinement, it is important to maintain a minimum of physical activity
- On the other hand, beware of excesses: asymptomatic but contaminated people should not put too much strain on their hearts.
A Spanish sports teacher who teaches his neighbors from the roof of his building, a Sunday runner who runs a marathon on his balcony… With confinement, the population has largely taken up sport to compensate for confinement. If playing sports is good for not gaining weight and fighting against stress, beware of too much activity. Asked by The Teamcardiologist Laurent Chevalier warns of the cardiac risks incurred during this period of viral epidemic.
Stay below 80% of your maximum heart rate
The main problem with performing so much sport in this period is that it is not compatible with a viral infection. “When you have a fever or aches, you must absolutely stop the sport and not do it for the next eight days., says Laurent Chevalier. The risk ? sudden death. The virus spreads to the heart muscle and causes an arrhythmia which can be very dangerous.”
With regard to the coronavirus specifically, we must be careful. Covid-19 can reach the heart and is highly contagious. What’s more, “the incubation period is long, about fifteen days, and very often without symptoms, in an almost silent mode. We do not realize that we are a carrier but the risk is very present“, he warns. We must therefore remain measured in our efforts, the cardiologist recommends “stay below 80% of their maximum heart rate” and not to exceed one hour of physical effort.
Don’t go too hard
Specifically, high-intensity activities should be avoided. The cardiologist does not prohibit jogging, although the government is considering banning it and it is now forbidden to run more than 2 kilometers from your home, but you have to go to a “sub-maximal pace” and avoid thesupported splits”. Regarding indoor activities, the observation is the same: do not go too hard. “There are a lot of young people on social networks, tempted to challenge themselves, and young people are not always reasonable”notes Laurent Chevalier.
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