{"id":43196,"date":"2021-10-08T09:30:50","date_gmt":"2021-10-08T13:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=43196"},"modified":"2025-09-03T22:01:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T02:01:59","slug":"exercise-after-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/exercise-after-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you exercise after getting a vaccine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know that <\/span>vaccines<\/span><\/a> can prevent disease\u2014and so can exercise to a certain degree. But can you combine the two? Is it okay to head to Zumba, sweat a few miles out on the treadmill, or lift weights after your <\/span>flu shot<\/span><\/a>? What about when you\u2019re receiving the <\/span>COVID-19<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>pneumococcal vaccines<\/span><\/a> or, really, any vaccine at all?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can I work out after a vaccine?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Medical experts say exercise after vaccines is fine, as long as you\u2019re feeling up to it. In fact, according to a <\/span>new study<\/span> published in <\/span>Brain, Behavior, and Immunity<\/span><\/i>, engaging in light aerobic exercise after a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or seasonal influenza vaccine\u2014such as walking or bicycling\u2014can actually improve the body\u2019s immune response by increasing antibody activation. Participants who began exercising at 60-70% heart rate within 30 minutes of vaccination for 90 minutes experienced a more enhanced immune response than both a sedentary control group and a group who exercised at the same intensity for 45 minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no contraindication [a reason not to do something] to exercising on the day of or the days after you receive a vaccine,\u201d says <\/span>William Schaffner, MD<\/span><\/a>, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. \u201cBut be sensible and listen to your body. Some people respond to vaccines with fatigue, muscle aches, and sometimes a fever. The day you receive a vaccine may not be the day to try and set a personal record.\u201d If you\u2019re up to it, stick with gentle exercise to help maximize the benefits of post-vaccine exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can exercise after vaccines improve immune response?<\/span><\/h2>\n

If exercise doesn\u2019t hurt your immune response to a vaccine, can it actually help it? Though recently published information about exercising post-vaccination is promising, data from earlier research is mixed. The results can vary depending on the age and gender of study subjects, which vaccines they get, and the type, duration, and timing of the exercise they performed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, one <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> looking at healthy young adults found that those who performed 15 minutes of exercise with resistance bands prior to receiving the pneumococcal vaccine had an enhanced antibody response. But the response was only significant in those who received a half-dose of the vaccine, versus a full one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other <\/span>research<\/span><\/a> published in the journal <\/span>Frontiers of Immunology <\/span><\/i>found that a single bout of exercise can enhance the immune response to vaccinations in both young and older study subjects. And a <\/span>research team<\/span><\/a> from the University of Sydney and University of Birmingham suggest that performing moderate-intensity exercise (such as biking) or resistance exercise (such as weight lifting) immediately before or after getting an influenza vaccine may help activate the immune system\u2019s response to the vaccine. However, the benefits were more pronounced in older people than in younger people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExercise likely increases blood and lymphatic flow, which helps spread the immune cells that are produced post vaccination,\u201d explains <\/span>Ramsey Shehab, MD<\/span><\/a>, a family practitioner and sports medicine specialist at Henry Ford Health Systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exercise after COVID vaccines<\/span><\/h2>\n

Vaccines help initiate immunity to a certain germ, such as a virus. Because they contain weakened or inactive parts of a virus or bacterium, vaccines trigger the immune system to create antibodies and T-cells\u2014two weapons the immune system uses to recognize and fight foreign invaders. The stronger your immune response to that vaccine, the better protection it offers. So if moderate exercise can boost vaccine efficacy, what\u2019s the best way to do it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In one <\/span>study<\/span><\/a>, women who exercised their deltoid (shoulder) and bicep (upper arm) muscles prior to receiving a flu vaccine had a better antibody response post-vaccination, while men had a better cell-mediated response (an immune response that involves disease-fighting T-cells, but not antibodies).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet another <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> examined a group of elite athletes and control subjects who were not athletes. Though each group received a flu vaccine and showed a good immune response to the virus post vaccination, those who exercised intensely and regularly (e.g., the elite athletes) had the most pronounced immune response. Those same <\/span>athletes were studied further<\/span><\/a>. Regardless of when they received their vaccine\u2014either two hours post training or after one day of rest\u2014their immune response (and the number and severity of the side effects they reported) was not significantly different.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most recent research suggests that it\u2019s safe to exercise after a COVID-19 jab\u2013in fact, it\u2019s recommended. That\u2019s because long-duration cardiovascular exercise like a light jog, brisk walk, or a bike ride can increase your immune response to the COVID-19 or flu vaccine. But when it comes to strenuous physical activity, like weight-lifting or jumping rope, the jury\u2019s still out. And larger-scale studies are needed to determine if similar effects\u2014from say, a 90-minute walk or stationary bike ride\u2014are applicable after a second shot, or COVID-19 booster.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe sensible, not obsessive,\u201d Dr. Schaffner recommends. \u201cI encourage exercise to the degree that you can, just because it\u2019s generally a good thing to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

COVID vaccine side effects<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most <\/span>common side effects<\/span><\/a> of the COVID-19 vaccine are:<\/span><\/p>\n