Post Covid-19 physiotherapy advice and exercise programme

Post Covid-19 physiotherapy advice and
exercise programme

As you recover from COVID-19, the information in this leaflet about
breathing techniques, general mobility and strengthening exercises will help
to improve your day-to-day function.

We recommend that you complete these exercises daily after you leave
hospital.

If your symptoms do not get better within six weeks, please speak to your
GP about this and, if appropriate, please ask them to refer you to outpatient
physiotherapy for further rehabilitation.








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Post Covid-19 physiotherapy exercise programme
Produced: May 2020 Review date: May 2022 Reference: 152020

Contents Page

Advice on common symptoms and self-care 3
COVID-19 rehabilitation
Fatigue
Sleep
Appearance
Family relationships
Mood
Returning to normal life
The Active Cycle of Breathing Techniques (ACBT) 6
Breathing exercises to help clear your chest

Exercise Booklet 8
Exercise programme to maintain strength and function

Exercise diary 12
Monitor your exercise compliance to keep you motivated






3
Post Covid-19 physiotherapy exercise programme
Produced: May 2020 Review date: May 2022 Reference: 152020
Advice on common symptoms and self-care

COVID-19 rehabilitation

COVID-19 is a new virus that has affected many people across the world, symptoms
include:

A high temperature- this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
A new, continuous cough- this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or
more coughing episodes in 24 hours
Less of taste or smell

At times people require admission into hospital for intensive care support to help with
their breathing, this can cause some patients to experience muscle weakness, shortness
of breath and fatigue. After you have been ill, especially for a long time, it is normal to
take a while to feel like yourself again. How long this takes can vary from person to
person. This booklet will address some of the common problems that people may
experience and provide advice on how to deal with them.

Fatigue

Patients recovering from COVID-19 often experience a feeling of tiredness and
exhaustion both physically and mentally caused by gentle exertion, this will improve in
time.

During your illness you will probably have lost some weight and muscle strength, and
your joints may be stiff. It is estimated that you will have lost 2% of your muscle mass
each day during your illness. It is difficult to place a timescale on recovery as everyone
recovers at a different rate, but you should not be concerned if it takes weeks or even
months to get fully back to normal.

The only way to recover and to get stronger is to walk anIt is
important to pace your activities so you e go. Decide on the
number of activities you need to do that day or even across the week, then make a plan
to spread out the activities so you have adequate rest periods. Start with small goals and
gradually increase the amount you can do as you feel able to do so.

You may have been doing exercises on the ward with the physiotherapists, and this
booklet will provide you with more exercises for you to complete at home independently.
As your strength returns you may want to take more vigorous exercise such as
swimming, fast walking or cycling. If you want more specific advice before returning to
other sports and activities, please speak to your GP.