An estimated 5% of U.S. adults are currently experiencing long COVID, according to the Global Burden of Disease Long COVID Collaborators. Additionally, the CDC reports that over 72,000 Nebraskans are affected, and more than 19,000 face significant limitations in their daily activities.
In light of this, Madonna’s post-COVID-19 continuum of care, which began as a needs-based intuitive, has expanded to include a post-COVID fitness program, reflecting recent research that suggests regular exercise may help alleviate lingering COVID symptoms.
Dennis Scofield, MAED, a research exercise physiologist and the Madonna Research Institute’s latest employee, is helping long COVID survivors with mild symptoms achieve better outcomes through customized physical fitness routines at Madonna’s wellness club. Scofield says he knows that when you’re not feeling well, exercise might be the last thing on your mind. That is why he considers providing the motivation and support these individuals need to jumpstart their fitness routines as a part of his new role at Madonna.
“Integrating enjoyable activities is one of the best ways to encourage adherence to regular exercise and physical activity,” Scofield said. “It’s also important to provide support and understand participants’ challenges, knowing that some days are going to be harder than others. From my experience, the significance of participants feeling heard and supported along their fitness and recovery journey can’t be emphasized enough.”
Kimberly Bauer, a recent participant in the pilot program, enjoyed working with Scofield and soon saw the benefits of having a supportive guide on her road to recovery.
“Dennis was fabulous,” she said. “He worked with me, and he listened to me, and he understood the dynamics of what my body needed and what I needed to continue progressing with my physical therapy.”
After her two bouts with COVID in 2020 and 2021 respectively, Kim noted that she had lost confidence in her ability to do the activities she once enjoyed. The normally active woman had balance issues, a racing heart, and muscle weakness.
“Before I got COVID, I was training for a triathlon, and after COVID, I had [to] quit everything,” Kim said. “The triathlon thing was just a pipe dream at that point. My heart was doing crazy things.”
Kim heard about Madonna’s pilot post-COVID fitness program from her Madonna physical therapist, and she eagerly signed up to work with Scofield. Meanwhile, Scofield, who once served as a research fellow and research physiologist in the Military Performance Division of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, a personal trainer, and a sports nutrition business owner, knew how to help individuals like Kim get back on track.
“Go ‘slow and low’ is an often-used term to describe starting slow with low activity volume until the body adapts to a more active lifestyle,” Scofield said. “Then, if symptoms allow, we’ll progressively add more physical activity to slightly challenge the body without going over the tipping point.”
Scofield’s recommended approach worked well for Kim.
“I think it’s a great program to get you started back into being more physically fit,” Kim said. “I noticed I was getting stronger without having to bust it. And as I was getting stronger, I could tell my breathing was better and my whole attitude was better as well.”