Pooja Chopra struggles to get back to fitness routine post Covid recovery: I’ve to start from scratch

Pooja Chopra’s experience battling Covid-19 wasn’t an easy one, and even after recovering from the virus, the actor had to face the challenge of low strength while working out.

“I’ve been very disappointed. I’m a self-critical person who’s very harsh on myself,” she admits, adding, “After gyms reopened in Mumbai earlier this month, I started going out, and I just can’t believe that my strength isn’t up to the mark. There’s so much fatigue now. I just couldn’t push the weights. I felt like such a loser.”

The actor, who recovered from Covid in early May, reveals that after the first day at gym, she just came home, crashed in her bed and dozed off.

“That entire day in the gym, I was uneasy and didn’t feel nice… about the fact that now I’ve to start from scratch. So, it was like you reach a level, you reach your goal, but then you’re back to square one,” she laments.

Now, the 36-year-old is following her trainer and doctor’s advice, who’ve asked her to slow things down a bit.

“My trainer told me that since I haven’t been working out in the gym for the last couple of months and also got Covid, I’d have to take things slow. Even my doctor said I wasn’t supposed to do strenuous exercise for a minimum of three months post recovery,” says the actor, who has now cut her workout to half for the moment.

“I’ll take a while to get used to this fatigue. I’m trying pull myself up. It’s is okay, I’ve fallen down, I need to brush myself up and start again,” she says.

Sharing a word of caution for every Covid survivor trying to get back on their fitness regime, the Commando (2013) actor says that everyone will instantly have a self realisation within the first 20 minutes at the gym.

“The body doesn’t support you at all. Anyone who goes back to rigorous training, will realise that they must stop exerting, and consult a physician. My only request is please take it easy. Don’t go back to the level where you stopped, it won’t happen. Work on your diet to get the stamina back. You’ve to give time, it won’t happen overnight. I’m giving myself a month to get back. But I’m not going to beat myself up if I’m unable to do so,” she concludes.