Recovering - activity levels

[NoPinkPlease]

I got covid for Christmas and am now on day 12. Symptom free, I walked to tesco yesterday and made spagbol which was both exciting and a major achievement. Had to lie down afterwards. I’m wondering how do you judge what’s the right activity level as you get better? I seemed to have escaped lightly overall - was achy and nauseous for 7 days and didn't have any breathing issues. Thanks

I’ve got kids so I just pushed through 🙈 on day 11, I spent the day walking round a massive forest of illuminations with a baby strapped to me. I was bloody exhausted but I didn’t want to cancel it for my 3 year old.

Just try to resume normal activity & if you need to & are able to rest afterwards then do so. I’m not dismissing post viral fatigue, I had it, I was really wiped. But the more you tell yourself it’ll be too much, the more you believe it & the less you do. The longer you sit still, the more deconditioned you become to normal activity levels! I remember coming out of a week in hospital after a kidney infection. I’d gone from running 10k’s a couple times a week to barely dragging myself up to bed in that week stuck laying on a bed 24/7. My GP said while I need to allow recovery from a nasty infection, it wasn’t anything too serious & I just need to get myself back active over the next 2/3 weeks. So I got out walking every day building up the time & length I did. And I got myself back to work despite feeling pretty naff as it just helped being in routine & being around non sick people again (appreciate that’s not very 2020!)

I rest one hour for every three hours I’m active. Iv been to two shopping centres since I came out isolation mid November and each time I’ve felt completely wiped out. I’m going to give them a miss now!