Can I Exercise After a COVID-19 or Flu Vaccine?

You may wonder whether it's safe to exercise after getting a vaccine, such as one for COVID-19 or flu. The short answer: Yes, it's fine to exercise as long as you feel well enough. For example, COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines may cause mild side effects, such as fever, headache, and pain at the injection site.

There are benefits and risks of post-vaccination exercise. Some evidence suggests that light-to-moderate exercise may boost your immune response after a vaccine. Still, side effects may hinder and lower the overall quality of your workout.

It's best to know the possible side effects of vaccination and how to plan your physical activity around your vaccine to feel as good as possible. Here's what you need to know about exercising after getting a vaccine.

Is It Safe to Exercise After a Vaccine? 

It's generally safe to exercise after getting a vaccine. There's no evidence that exercising right before or right after the vaccine would impact a vaccine's effectiveness, Humberto Choi, MD, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic, told Health. Whether you feel well enough to exercise after getting a vaccine depends on what side effects you have.

"There's no stopping you from exercising after getting the vaccine if you can tolerate the side effects," Aditya Shah, MD, an infectious disease specialist and hospitalist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told Health.

Vaccines, including the COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines, may cause side effects like:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and pain
• Pain, redness, and swelling on the arm where you got the vaccine

Those side effects might impact your ability to do daily activities, including working out, but that's not a bad thing. They are ultimately a sign that your immune system is responding to the vaccine, David Wyles, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Denver Health, told Health.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as Advil (ibuprofen), aspirin, or Tylenol (acetaminophen), can treat side effects. Taking one of those medications may help you feel better and up for a workout, said Dr. Wyles. Talk to a healthcare provider if you are unsure whether those medications are safe after getting a vaccine.

How Long Before I Can Exercise After a Vaccine?

Getting a vaccine will probably not disrupt your workout routine. Some people have mild side effects that go away within a few days and do not interrupt their daily activities, including exercise.

Others may want to take a few days off from working out while they recover. As a rule of thumb, listen to your body, said Dr. Wyles. Take a rest day or two if you do not feel well enough to exercise post-vaccination. Forcing yourself to break a sweat when you're not feeling good is "counterproductive," Sivan Fagan, CPT, a strength and nutrition coach, told Health.

"You're not going to be able to perform your best," said Fagan.

Possible Risks and Side-Effects

There are minimal risks of exercising after a vaccine. It's impossible to predict how your body will respond to a vaccine. 

Possible risks and side effects may include:

• Adverse side effects: Contact a healthcare provider if the redness or pain where you got a vaccine worsens after 24 hours, or if your side effects do not go away after a few days. Although rare, seek medical attention right away if you think you are having a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine.
• Fainting: This is a possible side effect of many vaccines, including the COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines. A study published in 2022 looked at six cases of fainting, which occurred within 10–40 minutes of COVID-19 vaccination. Your risk of injury may increase if you exercise right away after getting a vaccine.
• Side effects may cause a low-quality workout: This may result in a less enjoyable workout overall. The side effects of getting a vaccine can be annoying and uncomfortable. Still, they are very mild compared to being sick, said Dr. Choi.

Younger adults typically have side effects more frequently than others, said Dr. Wyles. Some evidence suggests their immune systems react to COVID-19 vaccines more vigorously than older adults. The second dose of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines may also cause more intense side effects than the first.

When To Avoid Exercise

It often takes weeks to develop immunity after getting a vaccine. For example, you are not "fully vaccinated" until two weeks after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, said Dr. Shah. Make sure to wait those two weeks if you have plans for an indoor, maskless workout at a facility requiring vaccination.

It's still essential to maintain basic public health precautions, like frequently washing your hands and staying home if you are sick, even if fully vaccinated, added Dr. Shah. 

Avoid working out in public spaces if you develop COVID-19 or flu symptoms, such as:

• A new loss of smell or taste
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (i.e., diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting)
• Headache
• Muscle or body aches
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Trouble breathing

COVID-19 vaccines do not infect you with the virus, but it's possible to contract COVID-19 near the time of your vaccination. Pause your workout plans and receive a test right away if you have COVID-19 symptoms.

Does the Type of Exercise Matter?

You might opt for a gentle version of your standard workout, depending on the intensity and type of your side effects. For example, you can go for a long walk instead of a high-intensity workout if you feel a little sluggish. You might modify a full-body strength workout into a core and leg-focused routine if your arm is achy.

It's best not to make concrete workout plans since there's no way to know exactly how your body will respond to a vaccine. Instead, plan your workouts depending on how you feel after a vaccine.

Gentle Upper Body Exercises

Research has found that gentle upper body exercises may reduce pain and redness on the arm where you got the vaccine. For example, you might try doing some shoulder circles or presses.

Here's how to do shoulder circles:

1. Face your palms forward, then lift one arm to a 90-degree angle. 
2. Gently rotate your arm backward and forward 20 times each. 
3. Repeat on the opposite side.

Follow these steps to do shoulder presses:

1. Lift one arm to your shoulder height, your palms facing forward. 
2. Bend your elbow to a 90-degree angle. 
3. Gently extend your arm upward, then return to the starting position. 
4. Complete 10 reps, then repeat on the opposite side. 

Are There Any Benefits? 

Research has found that post-vaccination exercise may boost your immune response by increasing the number of antibodies your body produces. The evidence is conflicting, though, and some research has found that exercise does not benefit vaccine efficacy.

A study published in 2022 found that a single 90-minute session of light-to-moderate indoor cycling or outdoor walking and jogging upped antibody response within four weeks of COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccination. The researchers noted that exercise is an acute stressor that may boost your immune response before and after vaccination.

Physical activity also induces an inflammatory response. Inflammation may activate more antigen-presenting cells (APCs) than usual. ACPs are immune cells that help fight off infections.

A Quick Review

It's OK to exercise after getting a vaccine if you feel up to it. Gentle upper body exercises may reduce pain and redness at the injection site. Some evidence even suggests that light-to-moderate cycling, jogging, or walking may actually boost your immune response to a vaccine.

Just let your body be your guide and scale things back as needed. Some people may need a day or two to recover from the side effects of a vaccine, such as fever, headache, and muscle pain. 

The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.