Comparison of Therapist-Supervised and Home Exercise Calisthenics Exercises in Post-Covid Syndrome: A Single Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

Aim: Post-Covid syndrome (PCS) is a condition that becomes chronic after the acute phase of Covid-19 and affects systems such as respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, and musculoskeletal, and negatively affects patients’ quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of calisthenics exercises on QoL in patients with PCS. Method: A total of 176 patients (male: 82, female: 94) with PCS were included and randomized to therapist-supervised and home exercise groups in this study. The calisthenics exercise program was carried out for eight weeks in both groups. QoL was assessed by the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensional 3-Level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire at baseline and after eight weeks. Results: Significant improvements were obtained in all parameters of the EQ-5D-3L scale, including mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression and general health score (p<0.05) in both therapist-supervised and home exercise groups. When therapist-supervised and home exercise groups were compared in terms of EQ-5D-3L, no significant difference was found between these groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Calisthenics exercises cause a significant increase in the QoL in patients with Post-Covid syndrome when administered both as a therapist-supervised and home exercise program.