Exercises to Recover from COVID-19

Exercises to Recover from COVID-19


After being in the hospital for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), doing an exercise program will help you return to your normal activities more quickly. Because COVID-19 targets lung tissue, it can impact your breathing and energy level. Use these exercises to help build up your strength and stamina. 

Do these exercises as directed until you feel tired. Stop if you feel pain or have shortness of breath.

Early phase exercises

Start with these exercises and do them until they become too easy. Then you will be able to move onto the next phase.

Leg Extensions
Start with your right leg. Extend it until it’s straight. Then complete with your left leg. As you progress, you can lift your thigh off the chair as high as you can comfortably.

Man sits in chair, lifting leg up

Marching
March one knee up and slowly lower, then repeat on the other leg. Keep your stomach muscles tight as you complete the exercise.
Man sits in chair and lifts knee up
Bridging
Lie on your back. Bend both knees and keep your feet flat on the mat, bed or floor. Lift your bottom up and down.

woman lying on floor, arms to the sides, pushed pelvis up toward ceiling

Leg Lift (Abduction)
Lay on your side. Keep your top leg straight and your bottom leg bent. Lift your top leg up toward the ceiling, keeping your knee straight. Lower your leg slowly.

Turn over to your other side and repeat with the other let.

Woman lies on her side and lifts top leg up , toe facing forward.

Straight Leg Raise
With one knee bent, keep the working knee straight and lift your entire leg off the bed.

Repeat with the leg positions switched.

woman lying on back, hands to the side, with one knee bent and the other leg straight. She lists up straight leg.

Abdominal Crunch
With knees bent, lift your shoulders off the bed or floor. Slowly lower back down.

man lying on floor doing sit up

 

Moderate/late phase exercises

Below are more challenging strengthening exercises.

Heel/Toe Raises
Stand behind a chair for support. With feet shoulder width apart, slowly rise up on your toes. Hold and then slowly lower heels down to the floor. Next, rock back onto your heels, lifting your toes up. Hold and slowly lower toes down to the floor.
Woman stands next to chair, raises toes, then heels
Mini Squats
Stand behind a chair for support. Bend your knees slightly as your hips move back, as if sitting into a chair. Keep your heels on the ground. Return to standing up straight.
Woman stands next to chair, squats part way down, bending knees

Hip Abduction
Stand to the side or behind a chair and hold on for support. Lift your leg out to the side, keeping your trunk straight. Hold and slowly lower to the ground.

Repeat with the other leg.

Mand stands next to chair holding on, lifts leg out to the side

Hip Extension
Stand behind a chair or at a counter and lift your leg back behind you.

Repeat this with the other leg.

Woman stands next to chair holding on, lifts leg straight back

Walk every day 

Walking is always a good place to start getting strength and stamina back and good to use along with these exercises

  • Start with a short term goal. For example, walk for 5 or 10 minutes every day. Or increase your number of steps by 300 to 500 each day.
  • Use an assistive device, such as a cane or a walker, if you used one before being in the hospital or if you are unsteady.
  • You should be able to carry on a light conversation while walking. If you struggle to talk, you are likely walking too fast or too far.

Experts recommend at least 2½ hours of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, each week. This is about 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week. Work toward this, or your previous activity levels, over the next several weeks.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

The purpose of diaphragmatic breathing is to strengthen the diaphragm muscle. This breathing technique will help decrease shortness of breath and use less energy when breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing also strengthens your chest wall muscles to help bring in more air into the lungs.

Muscles involved in breathing

The diaphragm is a large curved muscle separating your lungs from your abdomen. It does about 80% of the work of breathing.

Normally, when your diaphragm lowers, your lungs expand, and your abdomen pushes out. When your diaphragm rises, your abdomen moves in, and your lungs relax and empty. 

Lung disease often causes the diaphragm to flatten and become weak. This causes you to use accessory muscles to breathe, which takes more energy and needs more oxygen than using your diaphragm. Accessory muscles are found in the upper chest, neck, and along the ribs.

Image of breathing muscle anatomy. Includes two images, one showing rib cage, the other shows the lungs. Both images show the diaphragm and accessory muscles used in breathing.

Practicing diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing will help your diaphragm and abdominal muscles get stronger. Using this breathing, along with pursed lip breathing, will help move stale air out of your lungs.

Steps

  1. Lie or sit down in a comfortable position, relaxing your neck and shoulder muscles.
  2. Place one hand on your chest and the other hand at the bottom of your ribs just above your waistline. Use your hands to feel the movements as you breathe. With normal breathing, you will feel your chest rise when taking a breath in (inhaling).
  3. Take a breath in through your nose while pushing your stomach out. Do NOT let your shoulders move up. Do NOT expand your chest. Think about expanding your lungs in all directions.
    Image of man lying on ground with hand over stomach, arrows shows air going into his mouth, and stomach going out
     
  4. Breathe out slowly through your mouth with pursed lips as if you were going to whistle or blow out a candle. The hand on your stomach moves in as you breathe out. You may need to pull your stomach muscles in at first to help move your diaphragm up. Exhale or breathe out at least twice as long as you take to inhale or breathe in.
    Image of man lying on ground with hand over stomach, arrows shows air going out of his mouth, and stomach going in
     

When to use diaphragmatic breathing

Learning diaphragmatic breathing takes patience and practice. As you become more comfortable breathing with this technique, you will notice that you will be using it all the time. It is the natural way to breathe.

  • Practice diaphragmatic breathing for at least 10 to 15 minutes each day. Rest as needed
    between breaths. 
  • Use this breathing technique whenever you get anxious, upset, or short of breath.
  • Use it with activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, or carrying objects.
     

©  2020 - February 3, 2022, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

This handout is for informational purposes only. Talk with your doctor or healthcare team if you have any questions about your care. For more health information, call the Library for Health Information at 614-293-3707 or email: health-info@osu.edu.