Are You Still Struggling To Breathe After Covid? This Is What You Should Be doing.
Overcome Covid symptoms
- Covid has left many people struggling to return to regular activity for months after falling ill. However, we have the solutions to get you feeling like yourself faster than thought;
- Getting your pre-covid lungs back; a symptom-led gradual return to exercise, combined with Manual Therapy, can help you return to training even while experiencing Long-Covid;
- Find out how the Club Health Team can diagnose the exact problem and help you reach your goals through a prescribed Plan of Care based on your specific needs, lifestyle and goals.
We know that Covid often affects our lung capacity, and it can be a real struggle just to go up a flight of stairs, let alone muster the energy to face the inside of a gym.
Suppose you’re an active sweat-seeker looking to get back into exercise, or just a parent wanting to get through the daily run around without feeling the after-effects of Covid-fatigue and breathlessness. Whichever the case, we’re here to tell you that firstly, you’re not alone, and secondly, we know how to get you back to your pre-Covid activity levels without feeling run down and drained in the process.
But you’ve been told to take it easy post-covid, right?
Well, the reality is that everyone is still figuring out the depth of the impact of both Covid and Long-Covid (Covid symptoms that last longer than 12 weeks). However, we don’t have to figure out how to treat symptoms associated with the infection as our Team has treated patients suffering from such symptoms for years before Covid19 was a thing.
At Club Health, we know that a body that moves is a healthier body than one that doesn’t, and we don’t just look at your case in a clinical approach; we look at the whole picture. What are your goals? What does your 100% look like? How can we get you back to where you were before you fell ill, while addressing any other issues you’re struggling with along the way? Just because you’ve come to us looking for a solution to your Covid-related fatigue or weakness, doesn’t mean you aren’t still struggling with that old knee injury, right? Let’s not forget that!
OK, so you’ve had covid; what now?
Common Covid symptoms are a persistent cough, shortness of breath, brain fog, joint pain and psychological ailments such as anxiety and depression. These symptoms can last for quite some time and can be very frustrating to contend with long-term. The good news is that these can be addressed and treated successfully, through consistent lifestyle changes and a personalised Plan Of Care. Depending on your body and needs the Plan might include Physiotherapy, Manual Therapy, progressive-load training and/or Clinical Pilates.
If running a 5-mile feels like a version of yourself that no longer exists, that doesn’t mean it no longer can. It’s a fact that Covid-19 can have a long-lasting effect on your body, even after you’ve recovered from the initial illness. However, our Clinic and Practitioners can develop a safe and effective Exercise Programme and Treatment Plan that considers your individual needs, where we treat and prevent long-term damage to your heart and lungs.
When it comes to a Treatment Plan for long-Covid sufferers, we can confidently say that it’s essential to start and do so gradually and consistently, with the right guidance and support system.
What our team recommend you do?
Club Health’s Plan of Care for Covid and Long Covid Patients focuses on Manual Therapy and Exercise Prescription (interval training).
Physiotherapy and Manual Therapy are essential to your recovery journey. Realigning your body will allow your lungs to expand and return to the pre-covid form. Soft tissue manipulation will increase oxygen and blood flow and get your body prepared for the transition.
Weekly Manual Therapy sessions will compliment your Training and speed up recovery, allowing you to accommodate the increasing intensity every week.
A Rehabilitation & Conditioning Plan based on interval training allows for rest periods between exercises. This can help gauge the rate of perceived exertion without worrying about that dreadful feeling of breathlessness or dizziness.
Duration of training
Roughly 30 minutes of active exercise, excluding rest, will provide enough cardiovascular stimulus without increasing adverse risk factors associated with exercising.
Intensity of training
Given the small amount of published data on Covid symptoms recovery, our Team goes down the Performance and Sports Science route, guiding the intensity of the training based on how the body performs post any viral infection that affects the heart and lungs.
We look at the importance of monitoring the heart rate during your sessions. The recommended rates are to start at around 60% of your normal active heart rate intensity, which is challenging but stable. Then, building slowly, week on week, up to 80% of your active heart rate intensity, which ideally is a challenging workout, but you’re able to speak one-word answers.
Frequency of training and consistency
Doing an activity 3 to 4 times a week where you get out of breath will aid in improving Long Covid symptoms. Besides exercising at Club Health, you may also want to go for a brisk walk, or a swim and follow the Home Exercise Plan your Practitioners will assign to you.
Keeping consistency goes hand in hand with having to follow a Plan that speaks to you specifically. When putting together your PoC, our Team will take your habits, hobbies and overall lifestyle into consideration. For example, we may tailor your sessions to more running-specific exercises if you are a runner. If you’re a tennis player, we’d look at rotational movements instead. This approach has been effective in rehabilitating those with Long Covid and similar diseases and helping them return to their pre-Covid activity levels or even achieving better activity levels than pre-Covid.
Is this another experimental long-covid program?
We’ve had numerous Patients walking in half-heartedly having joined a number of Long-Covid Programs that only led to more frustration.
Here you can watch Tamaryn’s story who went from running marathons, to suffering from permanent fatigue after contracting Covid twice.
What's next?
If you’re struggling to lace up those trainers again, or feeling the psychological effects of being ill from Covid, start today by reaching out. Our Team is always available to guide you, help you book your Initial Consultation at a day and time that works for you, or simply answer any questions you may have.
You can contact us via Live Chat, Email, Phone or WhatsApp anytime.
We look forward to seeing you in Chelsea or Notting Hill and becoming part of your journey.
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