Aim: Exercise training after COVID may improve functional loss. We aimed to investigate the effects of 12-week exercise training on pulmonary function, symptoms, functional capacity, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with severe COVID 6 months after intensive care discharge.

Methods: 25 severe post-COVID patients (35 M) were in exercise group (EG) (age=52.9±11 years, 18M), and 25 (age=53.6±11.9 years, 17M) were in the control group (CG). EG received aerobic exercise (30-min walking) and upper and lower extremity strength training for 12 weeks for 3 days/week. CG continued only routine follow-up. At baseline and 12th weeks, pulmonary function and respiratory (MIP, MEP) and peripheral muscle (quadriceps and handgrip) strength, exercise capacity (6-minute walk distance, 6MWD), dyspnea (Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, MMRC), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale, FSS), and QoL (Nottingham Health Profile, NHP) were evaluated.  

Results: After 12-weeks of exercise training, FVC (8% vs -1.9%), FEV1 (4.5% vs -1.1%) MIP (25.8% vs 2.7%), MEP (13.3% vs -4.1%), quadriceps (25.3% vs -1.2%) and hand grip strength (25.8% vs 0.8%), and 6MWT distance (10.3% vs -0.5%)  increased, and MMRC (-0.4 vs -0.1), FSS (-1.2 vs -0.2), and NHP sleep (-10 vs -0.1), physical activity (-7.8 vs -0.9), and energy (-24.9 vs -3.6) scores decreased in the EG as compared to the CG (p<0.05).

Conclusion: A 12-week aerobic and strength training in patients with COVID-19 improves pulmonary function, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, functional capacity, fatigue, and QoL.