What small exercise can give real benefits? (Long covid/cfs/m.e.)

[Playfulpups]

I’ve had long covid for over 18 months and gone from gym x3 a week and 5k x 2 a week to hardly able to leave the house.

Proper exercise (and definitely cardio) is out of the question, but I’m starting to be slightly worried about long term health as I’m now 50 and totally sedentary.

What can I actually do that is so little that it’s physically manageable, but still has a measurable benefit?

Eg yoga I could do at home but I cant give it the time and energy as there’s no benefit to cardio vascular or muscles.

I could do 10 x 5kg biceps curls or 10 sit-ups but would this really have any benefit at all? I imagine not so I don’t do it regularly.

My energy is so small and so precious I can’t afford to do anything without clear benefit.
Any ideas please?
Or personal experience or studies proving the benefits of doing something very small?

Whatever you do I would keep it slow and gentle and the rule of 3 to start off with. So for example 3 squats, then the next hour 3 lunges , three sit ups , three bicep curls etc just throughout the day, slow and controlled . Gradually work up as able so the following fortnight you might go up to 4 movements in each sequence. Taking time to remember it’s the movement that’s important rather than the speed or reps .

I'm sorry to hear about your long covid.

My dh did Lottie Murphy Pilates (both free on you tube and then the paid channel) irregularly during the pandemic (no health problems but his work kept him tied to his desk at home). He saw strength gains and there were also some gentle cardio routines. We both found we felt good after the classes too.

Have a look at chair based exercises. I did them when I was pregnant. I had gestational diabetes so exercise was important but I was also on crutches for a lot of my pregnancy and in a wheelchair for the last couple of months so any meaningful exercise was out. The chair exercises definitely helped my blood sugars so were clearly doing something.

I’m going to browse all these ideas. Interesting to see examples of Pilates and chair based exercise doing some measurable good.

Yes very slow and gentle is the key. When everything in your life has to be slow gentle and time limited it’s so utterly frustrating and boring 😬😬.

I literally never actually feel well.

My exercise goals are therefore to improve my invisible health factors (eg likelihood of developing future heart related issues, mobility, diabetes etc). In an ideal world I would also see muscle definition again, but I have accepted that being stronger but not looking stronger will have to be enough for now.

On the plus side my dreams of doing more and frustration at the situation are signs of good mental health so far.

These goals aren’t what I actually want (which is currently impossible), but what I want under current conditions.

Improved invisible health markers (eg reducing likelihood of future cardio issues)
Stronger muscles
Improved mobility/flexibility

Leslie Sansone walk at home videos on YouTube. Some are very short at just a few minutes long, or just do a portion of one and build up over time.

@Playfulpups I believe any ex you are routinely doing is beneficial no matter how little. Maintaining a habit that can grow in intensity over time is a lot easier than losing the habit and having to start from scratch.

Judge yourself on showing up rather than what you’re doing.

As for old behaviours, I’m sure this list will be familiar - people pleasing, putting other peoples emotional needs before your own, expressing healthy anger, needing to be in control, perfectionism, achieving.

Useful books on this are Internal Family Systems, Richard Shultz - looks at how parts of ourselves are developed in childhood and how those parts are still being played out causing problems-aim to integrate all parts.
The myth of normal, Gabor and Daniel Mate - trauma, illness and healing in a toxic culture.

Re HR monitoring- yes, it’s very restrictive and makes you do less than you could do when you thought you were pretty useless already! I was lucky, I had sick pay to rely on and my husband stepped up for a few weeks which helped to kick start me. I kept it going for about 3 months of constantly checking. Then went to step count and tried to get a handle on feeling rather than monitoring. I’ve lost all check on things recently though. Part of it has been in an attempt to just get on and live/enjoy life but I’ve regressed again in response to that. I know acceptance helps a lot with that which I wain in and out of. I find it incredibly hard that I’m not able to be the mother I want to be (2 kids 7&9) and accepting I’m good enough just being here for them has been tough, still working on that.

I feel the same yes as Mum to 3 children and feeling never ending guilt around my inability in that.

What did you use when monitoring hr? Did you have a gadget that buzzed you if it went too high?

Example, doing basic daily housework is a massive big deal and saps a large proportion of energy. I can’t find a cleaner. Getting kids to do it takes same amount of energy.

Its not like super spring clean, it’s really basic stuff, dirty pots, spilt food, smelly loo, toothpaste on the counters etc. I can’t leave it so every day the whole thing stresses me out as I can’t do what I want to do (and which I used to take for granted).

But I force myself to do it feeling exhausted miserable resentful shouty etc😬.
On the other hand it can’t be left as it’s really basic stuff.

Its very hard to convey how draining these tasks are with long covid

I wonder if any of this is unhelpful thoughts. The end result is same though, either living in a pigsty or draining energy.

But basically I want to improve my actual health by introducing exercise that doesn’t make things worse.

Just placemarking really as I am desperate to get a bit fitter but battling an autoimmune condition and what I can do is so limited

We sound so similar op. I also find all the day to day things so hard and so draining. Emptying the dishwasher feels like climbing a mountain.

I'm sure that it's not helped in my case by a depression/inertia kind of thing. If ever felt like that before I'd go out for a run, clear my head, get some endorphins going. But I can't do that now. So I'm just stuck.

I'm sorry I don't have any real help but it's made me feel marginally better reading that others are feeling a bit the same.

Anyone know if there’s a thread running anywhere for people feeling like this? Where we can check in with what we’ve done and celebrate the small steps?

I have long covid and know well the frustration of not being able to do much and paying the price if you try to push through.
The things I have found helpful with both breath control and general fitness are tai chi (you tube 15 minutes sunrise tai chi) and Pilates.
when I went to my first Pilates class the teacher told me just to do three repetitions of things. It looked so easy I did the same number as the rest of the class. By thirty minutes in I had to stop and it wiped me out for the rest of the day. Now I listen and pace and only do a few reps but can feel the stiffness from immobility going and breathing on effort getting better.
I am type 2 diabetic in remission and monitoring my bloods can see this is helping keep things down.
Walking with my dogs has been my life saver. I joined a local dog walking group who don't walk for miles and end walks in a tea shop. I get exercise (can turn back to tea shop if too tired) and social interaction . Again if I am too tired just don't do the tea shop.
The long covid clinic have also referred me to a breathing exercise course run by English National Opera which is also helping.
The most difficult thing is you also have to grieve for what you have lost . With luck the research seems to say long covid will eventually get better but maybe not to what you were before.
I have just put in for slightly early retirement on health grounds because of long covid and neurological damage . I worked as a dentist , a job I loved and had a passion for. However I can't help but feel the enormous pressures of the last few years , combined with the physical and mental stress of working in covid times often 7 days a week to clear backlogs in very trying circumstances (full PPE etc) ran my batteries down so much that when I eventually got covid it had such a devastating effect. I suspect it's no coincidence that long covid affects disproportionately health workers.

If you want a 60 day free peloton trial app then PM me (I don't gain anything)

There's seated/adaptive weights (the instructor is an amputee and does stuff you can adapt), 10 min stretches, yoga, barre, walks with music and you can filter by time/difficulty
All the upper body weights you can do kneeling too and the barre classes are lying down (but burn your bum like mad!)

Anyone can PM me for it, I just don't put it on here as my name is attached but if you cancel day 59 it's no charge or it's about £13pm after that

It might be worth seeing if your council has any Move More (or similarly named) classes for those with barriers to activity. These typically have very experienced coaches and well differentiated programmes.

Also walking, yoga or meditation on the days between whatever activity you choose. They might not be building fitness in the way that is your priority, but all are good for your body

I'm the same as you. Barely leave the house due to energy and pain levels, however I've found chair exercises are good at keeping your muscles (and joints) active. Some can even be done on the bed if you are having a bad day. Start with only a couple until they are fixed into your routine then add more.

@Playfulpups I feel your pain re the cleaning thing and understand the energy it takes to get the kids to help! Pushing through your symptoms will however only make it all last longer. (Had to work with therapist on acceptance and lowering my standards which was hard work for a perfectionist - had to unpick that too!)

I never managed to find the beep on my watch to warn me when I went too high, it was big and bold so fairly easy to observe. Utterly boring but made a difference for me.

A big help in the kitchen has been a wheelie saddle stool so I can sit and move around.

Hope you find your way x

@picklemewalnuts would you mind sharing a link to those tai chi classes? I’m recovering from CFS and they sound like they could be great for me

My daughter has chronic pain and long covid and is struggling to get her fitness back. She is currently seeing the physio at our local hospitals pain clinic and has been told to not do any exercise that causes discomfort. For her it will be a very long time to get her fitness back, which she is frustrated by (she is only 25) but for her it has been good for someone to tell her not to push herself too much as that just causes more injury and pain and puts her back to the beginning again. With her chronic pain she gets muscle atrophy very quickly and then it's very difficult to build that back up again.
It was interesting to read about a pps experience with seated Thai chi, and I shall mention that to her later.
I hope you find something that works for you @Playfulpups Reading what you wrote in your op was very much like listening to what my dd is going through, especially the fatigue just trying to do small things.

This thread is amazing and very kind - thank you. Long Covid here too. Late 40s, previously extremely active. 2 small children and had a busy job and social life. I find anything cardio gives me PEM and completely understand the lack of endorphins/deep grief around giving up that very precious exercise and the benefits to health. I'm currently doing the short walk to school through the park and that's about it. But am looking at gentle yoga I can do at home and possibly pilates. Highly recommend the book Breath by James Nestor - as it shows how to stay in Para symp while exercising and it really helps. X

Look on Facebook , or Google Five Bows Tai Chi and Qi Gong
www.facebook.com/groups/327280284764179/?ref=share

I'm an NHS occupational therapist who got covid March 2020 pre lockdown from work and had long covid. I'm probably going to go against the majority on here and advise against exercise as I think it is too much. The only 'exercise' I did was get through activities of daily living using pacing strategies (empty dishwasher rest, shower collapse for a couple of hours). I improved the breathlessness very, very slowly. I live on a road with a fairly long steep incline. I would walk to a certain point (I'm talking maybe 50m to start with if that, 3-4 days later would do it again but slightly longer each time. It took a year before I could work again (I was in the fortunate position to be semi retired and, therefore, could manage without pay). When I went back it was agreed that I would do two 6 hour days only which was very difficult, I nearly gave up but slowly increased my hours. I'd say it was two years before I felt 95% back to previous levels by using normal activities and work as the graded exercise. Walking to the shops and carrying bags back I see as exercise but it has a useful purpose as well as getting me fitter........ Slowly, slowly is the key.... Frustrating I know 💐

I think part of the problem is that as a busy parent with other responsibilities, it’s impossible for me to actually limit my daily activity to what would be appropriate if I lived alone iyswim, I can’t realistically find a baseline where the symptoms recede a little.

Maybe I need to focus on that side of things a bit more not just think about “exercise”.