Effectiveness of exercise and physical activity in post-COVID-19 individuals.

Measurements: Before and after the exercise program applied for 4 weeks in total, all evaluations (including step count, dyspnea, pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and quality of life) are being made as a one-to-one face-to-face interview by a specialist physiotherapist. After the initial evaluation, all individuals are being divided into training and control groups. The program for training group includes as below: *Thoracic Expansion Exercises: It will be applied to individuals in an upright sitting position by the physiotherapist via one-to-one face-to-face session. In this position, individuals will place their hands on their lower ribs and then perform the cycle of "deep breathing + holding the deep breath for 3 seconds + slowly emptying all the breath" 3 times in a row. After this cycle, individuals will be asked to rest by taking 3-4 calm breaths. Immediately after, the individual will be asked to repeat the same cycle and repeat the cycle with calm breaths and rest until it reaches 10 repetitions. The individual will do this session 4 times a day. Individuals will do the first session of breathing exercises under supervision. In this way, incorrect exercise will be prevented. Other breathing exercise sessions will be done by individuals as a home program every day, 4 sessions a day and totally 4-week. Moreover, a home program is being applied to the individuals in the training group which is totally continuing during 30-60 minutes per a day. Verbal confirmation after phone interview is used to monitor adherence to the home program in the training group. *Physical activity counseling: These individuals will be counseled by explaining physical activities immediately after the first evaluation. Physical activities; will consist of regularly walking outdoors, stepping inside the house, doing leisure activities, and/or doing housework. Individuals will also be informed about the types of vigorous/moderate physical activity (basketball, volleyball, fitness, pilates, yoga, gardening, doing sports, etc.). Individuals will then be gradually accustomed to regular walking in order to increase their daily step count through weekly group phone messaging and, if necessary, direct phone calls. In the first week, individuals will be asked to walk for a total of 30-45 minutes a day, at least 4-5 days a week, and to increase the number of steps measured at the beginning by approximately 1000-2000 steps/day and reach at least 6500 steps/day. In the second week, individuals will be asked to add 2000-3000 steps to the number of daily steps taken in the previous week and reach at least 7500 steps/day. In the third week, individuals will be asked to reach at least 10000 steps/day by adding 3000-4000 steps to the daily steps they took in the previous week. In the last week, individuals will be asked to walk every day, reaching at least 10000 steps per day. General recommendations for safe physical activity such as not walking when hungry, walking 1-2 hours after meals, drinking water after walking will be explained to individuals. Individuals will record their daily step counts in their diaries every day. *The home program for training group includes thoracic expansion exercises and physical activity recommendations.