Buzz
COVID-19 vaccinations are often linked to symptoms like tiredness, sore arms, and at times, headaches or fever. So, if you have an upcoming vaccine appointment, should you skip a workout or two? It might be a good idea, but in the end, you'll need to see how you feel and adjust accordingly.
Many individuals don’t experience severe side effects
If you’re worried about the fatigue and fever that can sometimes accompany the vaccine, it’s important to remember that not everyone experiences these reactions. A recent study involving the Pfizer vaccine, for instance, found that only 14% of participants reported any systemic effects like headaches, fever, or fatigue after their first dose, and 22% after the second. (By 'systemic,' they mean effects that go beyond the injection site.) This study, which included individuals vaccinated in the UK post-authorization, showed that these numbers were actually better than what initial clinical trial data had indicated.
For the Moderna vaccine, this chart illustrates the side effects people reported during the clinical trials. After the first dose, 38% of participants experienced fatigue and 35% had a headache. After the second dose, those figures increased to 68% and 63%, respectively. However, that still means many people didn’t experience those symptoms.
Regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 55% of individuals reported systemic side effects after receiving the single dose. This also means that nearly half of the people who got the vaccine did not experience any of those systemic reactions.
Sore arms are a frequent side effect, though
Local reactions to the vaccines are more common than systemic ones, with around 80% of Pfizer and 90% of Moderna recipients reporting sore arms. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed a somewhat better result, with just under 60% of younger adults experiencing sore arms and approximately one-third of people aged over 60.
Predicting timing can be tricky
If you experience one of those systemic side effects, when can you expect to feel the worst? Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict that exactly, even down to the day. You might start feeling unwell the night of your vaccine, the following day, or possibly even a couple of days later. I was fine for the first few days after my first dose of Moderna, but on day 3, I suddenly started feeling unwell.
Fortunately, most symptoms tend to clear up within a day or sometimes a couple of days. So, whatever happens, you can be reassured that your daily life won’t be impacted for long.
How to manage your workout schedule
Having recently gone through this experience myself, here’s how I handled it, along with the advice I’d offer to others facing a similar situation.
First, keep in mind the points mentioned earlier and accept that side effects are unpredictable. The good news is, you might not experience any at all.
Second, allow some flexibility in your workout schedule. It’s likely you’ll miss at least one day, maybe two. Since I received my vaccine on a Wednesday, I moved my Wednesday workout to Tuesday, just to make sure I could fit it in.
Third, in the days following your vaccination, trust your instincts. When I went to the gym on Thursday, I thought that arm soreness would prevent me from doing any upper body lifts. But after warming up, I quickly realized I could still do my planned workout without any adjustments. I didn’t feel as strong as usual, but that’s completely normal—our strength can vary day by day. This is what listening to your body truly means: allowing your body to show you that it can handle something, even when you doubt it.
Finally, if you need to take it easy, do so without guilt. When I was hit with unexpected fatigue on day 3—Saturday, in my case—I decided to skip my workout for the day. Normally, I’d try to make up missed sessions, but this time I knew it would be better for my mental and physical health to simply let it go. I know I’m consistent with my workouts overall, and skipping one day—or even two or three if needed—won’t change who I am or the progress I’ve made.
