Post Covid Exercise

ChelzFit

I am just over two weeks post covid (38 female). I had about 5 days of bodyaches/low grade fever. Luckily I never had any chest congestion, just sinus. My heart rate has been fine, no breathing issues. This past week I started to slowly get back into walking for about 50 min at a slow pace and it is just exhausting me. I am not out of breath, but afterwords I am so fatigued. I am worried that I will never get back to exericse. Pre-Covid I was working out 4 days a week (40 min cardio and 20 min weights) and the other three days I would walk 4 miles. I was vaccinated and I also received the antibodies on my 5th day.
The only way I can explain how I feel is how I feel when I have overdone things at the gym-just drained. I am eating the way I was pre-covid at maintenance. Please tell me things can improve-I am afraid of the long haul covid.

COGypsy

It’s most likely not long haul. I’m just getting over COVID too. I’m about 4 weeks out from when I lost my smell and am just now able to walk my dog and stay up past 6:30 or 7 the last couple of days. It gets better every day though and that’s all I can ask.

Work_toward_goals

I struggled a little a couple of weeks after my recovery. I just kept adding a little more to my workouts as I felt comfortable. You sound very determined and focused, I'm sure you will get it figured out.

tjarizonatina

Following! I just got tested today for Covid but what you describe is exactly how I feel. I only have head congestion and low grade fever. Luckily no problems breathing. If it is covid, I most likely contracted it 2 weeks ago in Vegas. I lost my sense of taste and smell 10 days ago but it's come back to some extent. I was also having headaches and I still do periodically. I've tried walking for 30 minutes a couple of times but I am completely exhausted when I'm done. I decided to get tested because I just found out someone who is going to be at Thanksgiving dinner is immunocompromised. I probably won't go if I test positive.

Please keep us posted on your progress. It might take some time but I hope you get back to your pre-covid workouts.

DancingMoosie

I had it and worked out the whole time, just less I intesity. I even ran 6 miles on the Sunday before I was tested Monday. I can't say how long it takes to recover because I was mostly only very tired for a few days and had some headaches.

AnnPT77

I'm so sorry you're going through this!

I'm thinking you might be interested in the experience of an acquaintance of mine, a young woman who, with a good-sized slice of the US women's national rowing team (the Olympic rowers, basically), got Covid.

She wrote an essay about her experiences, here:

https://medium.com/classroom-champions/my-covid-experience-dae2cade00c3

The bottom line was that it was a frustratingly slow recovery, but she *did* recover. How you're describing feeling now, is very similar to how she describes feeling, part way through recovery. I hope that reading it may be encouraging to you that what you're experiencing is normal, but that you can make it all the way back.

Hang in there, give yourself the time to recover, do what you can without pushing too hard . . . I'm betting you can recover. I know it's frustrating!

P.S. I'm not compensated in any way for providing this link: I just think it might show some light at the end of your current tunnel. Wishing you positive outcomes!

ChelzFit

Thank you so much for all your kind feedback. I saw my GP the other day and she prescribed me a 3 day dose of prednisone 40mg for fluid in my ears. I’m now having major dull muscle aches in my legs. I’m hoping it’s the steroids and not a lingering effect from COVID. My last dose is tomorrow so time will tell,