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Does anyone else feel like exercising makes your symptoms worse?
Hi everyone! I have started to have some improvement after starting vagus nerve stimulation therapy and finally felt like I was able to start exercising again! I have a Peloton bike (leaderboard is @stephbea27 if you want to add me!) and I started doing 20 minute rides last week. The first day the ride itself felt amazing and I felt so good while working out, but the next day all of my symptoms were back and I felt terrible. When I take a rest day, I notice the symptoms feel better the next day but when I work out, I just don't feel good the next day. It's like my body is using all of it's energy during the workout and leaves nothing for other processes. Has anyone experienced this?
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I found that i had to increase my exercise Very slowly or it would make things worse. As I slowly increased though, things got better
Everyone is different, but PEM keeps me from exercising and even engaging in "normal" daily activities that require any physical exertion. Pacing, staying prone in bed and working on my laptop as much as possible instead of sitting upright at my PC help. I plan for any "activities" outside the house (e.g., physical therapy) ; doing no more than one/day and space them apart to rest and recover. Thanks for sharing!
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2 ReactionsMajor concern with Long COVID.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/01/09/1223077307/long-covid-exercise-post-exertional-malaise-mitochondria#:~:text=The%20tissue%20samples%20from%20long,every%20parameter%20that%20we%20measure.%22
Take it slow and pace.
Same thing! Exercise on NuStep helps my breathing and oxygen level but the next day I am completely wiped out!
Pulmonary therapy started me at 40 minutes on exercise equipment plus weights. It was too much ..too fast. Next day I was wiped out! My next plan is to start at maybe 10 min and work my way up gradually. Hope that will work😊
Mayo Clinic teaches moderation, one way they explain it is "imagine you are an injured athlete, you can't just go back to the level of performance prior to injury". My Mayo plan has me limited to 10 minutes on the elliptical focused on leg strength and not aerobic strength. Where once I was aerobic (elliptical + resistance) for 45 minutes 6X per week, I am now 12 minutes every other day and working my way slowly back up. When I bump against Exercise Intolerance or PEM I adjust.
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