If you're recovering from COVID, chances are you've had a zillion different questions kicking around in your head.How long should my symptoms last? Why am I not better? How do I know if I have long COVID ?

What makes it even more confusing is that everyone's experience with the virus is different - and with many of these questions, there's no one single right answer.

One of the most common questions, though?When can I start exercising after COVD?

Watch: Just six characters who would OWN the pandemic. Post continues below.

If you've been slinking around on the interwebs, you've probably noticed a heap of people talking about exercising after recovering from COVID.

Co-founder and CEO of Keep It Cleaner Laura Henshaw recently spoke about these feelings associated with not being able to jump back into it after COVID.

For many people who enjoy regular exercise, skipping workouts and taking time off their usual workout routine can result in feelings of guilt. However, the fact is that pushing yourself too soon after recovering from COVID can have some very negative effects.

On Instagram, Henshaw wrote to her followers: "If you feel any guilt or shame around not exercising/moving if you have been unwell, take a big deep breath in and out, and on the out - let it go. Release all the guilt."

To help break down exactly what you need to know about exercising after COVID, we spoke to a registered doctor and a fitness expert to find out more.

When can I start exercising after COVID?

"The symptoms of infection as well as the recovery process of COVID-19 can vary greatly between individuals," said Dr Andrew Thompson, a registered doctor at InstantScripts.

"A person’s recovery will depend on age, overall health and wellbeing, and how severe the COVID symptoms were."

With this in mind, returning to exercise can be different for everyone.

"It is entirely up to the individual to decide when they feel well enough to return to exercise. I strongly recommend postponing exercise if symptoms such as a cough, breathing difficulties, body aches, fatigue, or fever, still persist."

Instead, Dr Thompson suggests allowing the body to rest until symptoms have subsided before slowly returning to exercise.

Generally, this means waiting at least seven days before exercising. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CY2KqIXB4dW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

But what if I have no symptoms?

If you're completely asymptomatic or have really mild symptoms, there's nothing out there suggesting you should or shouldn't exercise before day seven.

However, it's important to note here that there's currently very limited evidence around COVID-related exercise rehabilitation or the potential long-term impacts. As mentioned before, everyone's experience with COVID is different - so it will depend on individual factors.

"Some people who contract COVID are completely asymptomatic, while others will only be affected minimally by the symptoms. Those who are asymptomatic can exercise at home while they are infected, as long they are still isolating and not putting other members of their household at risk."

But, as Dr Thompson said, be aware of changes in your breathing.

"It is important to remember that COVID affects the respiratory system, so even if a person feels okay, doing exercise may affect breathing and leave the individual feeling tired much quicker than usual," he said.

"Aussies should remain vigilant about their symptoms and immediately stop physical activity if they start to feel worse."

When it comes to the exact symptoms you should monitor, our expert recommends paying extra attention to symptoms below the neck - including coughing, chest pain and abnormal levels of breathlessness.

"You should also keep an eye out for feelings of fatigue, as it is important to not exacerbate any remaining symptoms," Dr Thompson adds.

"If a person is completely exhausted and unable to complete the same exercise the following day, it is a good indication that the level of physical activity was too much for their body and they should look at dialling it back."

What's the best way to exercise after COVID?

The most important thing to remember is that returning to exercise after COVID isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of deal.

"Due to the way in which contracting COVID has impacted people in such a variety of ways, there isn’t going to be a single blanket response for 'the best way exercise post-COVID' BUT if you apply the same principles and approach to your training as you would when (re)introducing any training stimulus, you’ll be just fine," said performance coach Sean McInroy from Apex Strength Society.

"Err on the side of less - you’re unlikely to know whether you’ve overdone it until you’ve gone too far and pushed yourself a little bit too much, too soon."

For those who haven't been exercising at all, McInroy suggests a slower return to physical activity.

"Set the bar of expectation lower than you think you should/want to and rely on your subjective gauge of how well recovered you feel throughout the day (post-exercise) and into the next day to help determine your next step," he suggests.

"Do you feel comfortable to increase the training stress? Do you feel the previous day’s session was a little bit too much (based on how poorly recovered you feel)? Or do you feel like your response the day after training is sitting snugly in the sweet spot between those two ends of the spectrum? It’s simply a matter of trial and error."

If you're looking for tips on how to gently get yourself back into exercising, physiotherapist and master pilates instructor Chloe de Winter from Go Chlo Pilates, posted this helpful clip on Instagram:

McInroy also reminds