Fitness freaks often ask a question after a blood test: Can I exercise after a blood test? The answer is: Light activity is fine after a blood test. However, there are a few things to consider, especially the type of exercise, the volume of blood taken, and one’s health on the day. You can also seek advice from GP Glenroy at Magnus Medical.
In this article, we'll answer the most common questions about exercising before and after a blood test, along with other important activities like driving, swimming, and drinking alcohol.
During a blood test, most people experience only mild discomfort. During a blood test, a small needle is inserted into a vein in your arm to collect a blood sample.
You may experience:
The discomfort may last only a few seconds, and tenderness usually disappears within a day or two. If you’re going to Pathology Glenroy for general blood work or special tests, you can expect some soreness around the injection site afterwards. Bruising is also normal. These symptoms should disappear in a day or two.
The short answer is yes. Light exercise is usually safe after a blood test. However, the intensity and type of exercise matter.
Light exercise
If it’s just a routine blood test, you can usually get engaged in light activities, such as:
These activities won’t put extra stress on the arm where blood was drawn and are unlikely to cause any issues.
Don’t perform intense exercise for at least several hours, and sometimes, it’s recommended to avoid vigorous exercise for up to 24 hours, especially if:
Even if it was just your routine blood test, don’t push yourself if you experience:
Once you feel better, you can resume your normal workout routine.
Whether you can exercise before a blood test or not completely depends on why you are having the blood test.
You can perform light activities before a routine blood test. Just make sure you limit the type of exercise that impacts blood range. For example, these types of:
These changes could have an adverse impact on your test results.
For most blood tests, you'll be expected to fast for at least 8-12 hours before you have the blood test. Fasting before a blood test coupled with exercise could increase the risk of:
If this is the case, it’s recommended to wait until after your blood test before exercising.
If your doctor advises you to avoid exercise before a blood test, ensure you listen to them very carefully to receive more accurate results.
You need to consider several things before weightlifting because it puts significant pressure on the veins and muscles. For most routine blood tests, many doctors suggest waiting at least a few hours before lifting weights. If the blood test was difficult, like it involved multiple needle attempts, then it’s recommended to wait 24 hours before lifting weights. Heavy lifting immediately after a blood test may:
Mostly, yes. For most of us, it is safe to drive if our Blood alcohol content was tested during a routine test. But you need to avoid driving if you feel any form of:
If you feel unwell following your blood test:
If symptoms persist, ask someone else to drive you home.
Swimming is considered safe after a routine blood test, but still, it’s recommended to wait for a few hours. Swimming immediately after a blood test could:
Conclusion
Therefore, to answer the question, can you work out after a blood test? Mostly yes. Light exercise after your routine blood draw can include walking, or even a good old stretching routine.
Just try to prevent doing an extremely high-intensity workout, a great weight-lifting workout, or your personal hardest workout on that day of the blood test- for a couple of hours, or even potentially hours.
