What I want you to know right now

I'm not sure about you but I've had many friends and family experience the Omicron wave of the pandemic. More and more people have shared with me their experience with the virus.

Is that true for you?

Back when the pandemic started 2 years ago, I can't say I knew a single soul who was personally affected.

This sure has changed.

Each and every individual has had vastly different experiences. It simply speaks to the wonderfully diverse bodies we all live in. Someone's physiology is not exactly the same as another.

When helping people coming out of COVID-19, I have had to allow for individual variations which results in prescribing different exercise programs.

For example, if a person is still experiencing shortness of breath, it may be advantageous to focus our efforts on supervised low intensity cardiovascular exercise such as slower walks or stationary cycling with little to no resistance.

Others who may be struggling with fatigue may need to space out their physical activity or exercise throughout the day and allow for days off in-between sessions to allow recovery to happen.

One form of exercise that is essential after experiencing COVID-19 would be resistance training. Muscle atrophy (shrinking) can happen in as little as two weeks of bed rest for a "generally healthy" individual. Changes in muscle strength, endurance and size is much greater in those who have chronic health concerns. This form of exercise can start off with low levels of load and focus on endurance.​

In starting back slowly to exercise, one may also benefit from a gentle Hatha yoga practice that can focus on breathing and relaxation while moving the body through various ranges of motion.

Of course, getting moving in any capacity is important; yet, a tailored supervised approach is key for people experiencing Long COVID.

Recently, this article was published covering some of the ways exercise plays a crucial role in recovery.​

And what do we know now about the impact of being physically active and the protection against severe outcomes of COVID-19?

​A research group out of South Africa has published research findings stating that,

​"any form of regular physical activity, even less than two-and-a-half hours per week, can protect against severe COVID-10 outcomes."

Pretty amazing what being physically active can do!

As noted, every body (err, everybody) will experience illness, exercise and physical activity differently. Science gets us close to quality information. We all need an individual approach that suits our bodies best.

If you need some help coming back to exercise after experiencing COVID-19, reply back to this email. I'm here to support you in your physical activity journey in whatever form suits you.

Stay well and happy moving,

Lisa