Swathi K
Pilates Instructor, Apollo Life Studio, Hyderabad9 min read




- Expert advice
- Live classes
- Covid 19 care
Going back to UR normal life after COVID-19 infection will be a gradual process. Even though you may have recovered, you may still experience some of the symptoms like weakness, body pains and breathlessness. Exercising can help you get back to UR normal life. Ensure you get URself assessed before beginning any physical exercise and take all precautions before you begin any kind of workout. Depending on UR symptoms, you can start off with some low-intensity exercises.
Pilates is a form of exercise that helps to coordinate the mind and body. It also helps to improve UR flexibility, balance, strength, core and posture. Let’s try to understand which particular movements you should do and the kind of breathing involved during exercise. Some exercises are suitable for everyone – even if they are on the road to recovery after the COVID-19 infection. These exercises help to improve UR breathing and posture. A maximum of 10 reps can be done – either lying down, sitting or standing. It would be great if you can try to exhale double of what you inhale while doing these exercises.
As post Covid-19 patients experience a lot of weakness, lying down and exercising seems to be the best alternative. For all of the exercises mentioned below, a neutral posture while exercising is recommended – UR shoulders should be right down and flat on the surface. Also, UR chin should be in line with UR spine.
Ensure you don’t leave more than a finger’s space between UR lower back and the floor. Meaning, it should be flat without an arch. Maintain a neutral position for UR spine. Raise UR knees and maintain a small gap between UR feet. Let’s start with breathing exercises. We will focus on the diaphragm as it’s the main muscle responsible for breathing.
These exercises engage the core and activate it along with the breathing. When you inhale, U need to do it from inside UR pelvis and hips for UR diaphragm. In this way you are aerating all UR four sides – forward, back and UR sides. To practice this exercise:
Initially, this exercise can be done in a lying down position and later you can progress to sitting while doing this exercise. To practice this exercise while sitting:
If U don’t have the energy to engage UR core, initially, try doing it 2-3 days after beginning UR normal exercise. You can breathe normally too (but not deeply) and exhale normally if you feel you are low on energy.
U can even do this exercise with UR legs folded. Keep UR knees together and ensure UR glutes are resting on UR heels. Inhale and exhale in the same way. Yet another progression of this exercise can be performed by kneeling down and breathing (inhaling with UR nose and exhaling through UR mouth) in the same way mentioned.
The important thing to remember while doing this exercise is to encourage coordination between UR mind and body. Allow UR mind to focus on UR inhalations and exhalations. Give it UR full concentration to get the maximum benefits.
You can start this exercise lying down and then move on to the same progressions practiced for the diaphragmatic exercises. These exercises can also be done while standing. But it’s important to maintain UR form while standing. Keep UR feet slightly apart with UR heels in line with UR toes. This exercise helps to loosen UR ribs and mid-back position with more scope of opening UR lungs.
Whether it’s COVID-19 or any other disease – one side of the lung gets infected (either more towards the right or more towards the left). To do this exercise:
Progressions of this exercise include increasing the lateral action and surface area of the lung – this involves bringing UR forearm lower down (for a deeper bend)and more opening of UR lung. With time, UR flexibility will increase to help you do the progressions better.
Don’t avoid any movement and ensure you are constantly improving UR fitness level. For instance, if you’ve been practicing these exercises sitting on a chair,try sitting on the floor next and so on. At the same time, don’t ignore pain and avoid certain positions if you are finding it painful.
A healthy mind stays in a healthy body. Embrace the true spirit of this quote for UR post COVID recovery.
To do this exercise you need to take short inhalations which are divided into two. Inhale twice and exhale completely to increase UR lung capacity.
As a progression of this exercise, you can inhale twice and exhale twice. Try this probably after a week’s time of beginning this exercise. For the next progression inhale thrice and exhale thrice. This can be progressed to five inhalations and five exhalations.
Pull UR stomach inwards while exhaling (engage UR core). You can also try another progression of this exercise by extending both UR hands outwards while inhaling and exhaling (thrice or five times).
Here’s another progression of this same exercise:
These exercises are required to open up UR lungs and improve their capacity. Cardiac capacity is also increased with arm exercises. While doing these exercises, remember to always inhale with UR nose, breathe out with UR mouth and involve UR core. You will be inhaling into UR chest and into UR shoulders – UR focus will be on these areas to open them up. Don’t forget to relax UR body. Relaxation of the body plays a key role in healing.
Exercises to strengthen UR back:
For the next bridging exercise (progression):
For all of these exercises, you can start with 3 reps if you are very weak, progress to 5 reps, and go up to 10 reps. U can go up to 30 reps for the arm exercises.
Once you finish exercising don’t forget to stretch. No exercise is complete without stretching. When you stretch you help to loosen UR muscles and reduce the pain you experience. U will also be preparing URself for the exercise you need to do for the next day. After doing all of the exercises above it’s important for you to stretch the following:
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