Resistance exercise improved walking-test performance after COVID
A randomized trial found better walking distance and selected health measures after a personalized resistance program, though the abstract leaves safety details unclear.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Adults assigned to personalized resistance exercise improved more on a walking test than those receiving usual treatment. Quality of life, a questionnaire measure covering anxiety and depression, and handgrip strength also favored the intervention. These results concern a defined program after COVID; the abstract does not establish recovery for every participant or report detailed safety outcomes.
Fewer participants completed the walking test at follow-up than at baseline. Although safety was part of the research question, the abstract reports no adverse-event results, limiting assessment of the program's risks.
What researchers found
Adjusted difference in walking-distance improvement
Resistance exercise versus usual treatment at 3 months on the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test; 95% CI 6.6–66.3 m.
What the result measures
The main endpoint was distance covered during a structured walking test. The adjusted estimate compares improvement between groups, which helps separate the program's effect from changes also seen among people receiving usual treatment.
Who the trial included
Participants came from both hospital and community diagnoses. The study therefore covered more than previously hospitalized patients, but the abstract does not establish whether results apply equally across different symptom patterns or levels of exercise tolerance.
The original publication
Resistance Exercise Therapy After COVID-19 Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Berry C, McKinley G, Bayes HK et al.
JAMA Netw Open · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41213124
- Record checked
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