5 Exercises to Restore Strength, Endurance, and Energy After Post-COVID Fatigue

These simple exercises can help you recover from COVID-19 fatigue and are easy to perform at home.

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Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms reported after infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Lingering symptoms can be more common in those who had a more severe course of COVID-19, especially if hospitalized, sometimes wreaking havoc for months. While symptoms can come and go, they can impact daily living and be extremely frustrating.

A 2022 systematic review published in Frontiers in Psychiatry of 20 studies and nearly 6,000 participants evaluated the therapeutic approaches for treating post-COVID-19 fatigue. After eight weeks of biweekly aerobic and strengthening exercises, post-COVID participants experienced improvement in muscle strength and physical function.

Exercises to Reduce Post-COVID Fatigue

My patients suffering from fatigue after severe COVID-19 often find that exercise can make a difference. When the pathway back to health seems a million miles away, taking the first few steps can get the journey started.

My wife, Patty Shelley, a certified metabolic coach specializing in women’s health, agrees. “Many people who are feeling weak tend to see impossibilities when I suggest exercise. But once they start, they quickly improve,” she says.

I’ve found that the best remedy for weakness and fatigue following a nasty bout of COVID-19 is exercise targeted at increased endurance. The following exercises can help you in the pursuit of that goal.

But before we get started, please proceed cautiously, being aware of your potential for injury following COVID-19. Approach these exercises carefully and pay close attention to what your body tells you. If you find it extremely difficult to recover after exercise, please consult your physician.

1. Single-Leg Deadlift

The single-leg deadlift works several muscles at the same time. It focuses heavily on the hamstrings and glutes but also involves many back muscles. This balance-intensive exercise forces you to control your core muscles throughout the entire movement. It can be surprisingly intense in higher set counts, so adjust according to your ability.

If you feel that your balance isn’t up to performing this exercise with weights, start by holding onto a counter or furniture for stability. Over time, you should experience an increase in strength and in your ability to complete more repetitions while freestanding and adding weights.

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• Step 1: Start by standing, holding weights in both hands with feet close together.
• Step 2: Keeping your left foot on the ground, begin lowering the weight toward the floor while lifting the right leg behind you, keeping it straight. You can slightly bend your left knee to decrease any strain on your back.
• Step 3: Once you lower the weights slightly lower than knee height, slowly return to a standing position while you bring your leg back down to the ground. As your foot makes contact, you should be standing straight back up.
• Step 4: Repeat the same movements using the opposite leg. Each time you raise and lower your leg counts as one repetition, and 16 repetitions equals one set (or eight repetitions per side).

2. Bodyweight Squat

The bodyweight squat focuses on your gluteal muscles and quadriceps on the front of your upper legs. Squats are highly energy-intensive, which is why they’re a great exercise to combat fatigue.

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• Step 1: Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms straight out in front of you with your palms down.
• Step 2: Slowly lower into a squatting position until your knees are bent about 90 degrees, taking a full second to move into the position. Push your bottom out behind you to keep your knees from moving in front of your toes, which can place stress on your knees.
• Step 3: Slowly move back into a standing position while keeping your arms extended straight out in front of you.
• Step 4: Repeat the movement. Each squat counts as one repetition. Try to perform 12 repetitions for each set and three sets in total.

Although the bodyweight squat can initially be difficult, the payoff is more than worth it. It’s an exercise that I also highly recommend for individuals who have difficulty standing up.

If you find this exercise too challenging, you can modify it by limiting how low you go. You can adjust the number of repetitions to your desired intensity.

3. Reverse Crunch

I love the reverse crunch for its ability to focus on strengthening the abdominal and core muscles. It may take a little practice to isolate these muscles while also avoiding any hip movement, but it shouldn’t take long to master.

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• Step 1: Lie on your back with your arms extended by your sides with palms down.
• Step 2: Bend your hips and knees to approximately 90 degrees.
• Step 3: Use your abdominal muscles to lift your bottom off the floor and toward the ceiling. While this isn’t a large movement, it can be difficult. Avoid flexing your hips; this is an abdominal muscle set, not a hip exercise.
• Step 4: Each time you raise and lower your bottom counts as one repetition. A total of 12 repetitions equals one set; do three sets, if possible.

This exercise can be highly challenging at first but can pay solid gold dividends over time, so don’t be discouraged. Many of my rehab patients have very weak core muscles. As shown above, some degree of hip flexion (bending) may naturally occur when you first start this exercise, but over time, you'll be able to eliminate it. With consistency, the reverse crunch is a great exercise to strengthen core weakness.

4. Good Morning Exercise

This classic exercise is a great one to start your day. It provides a good physical workout, is highly controllable, and gets many of your postural muscles ready for an active day.

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• Step 1: Start in a standing position. Standing tall and with your legs shoulder-width apart, place both hands on the back of your head with your fingers interlaced.
• Step 2: With your knees slightly bent, bend your hips until you’re in a deep bow with your face toward the ground. Be sure to keep your back straight and your elbows extended straight out. Take a full second to move into the bow.
• Step 3: Hold the position for one second before rising back up.
• Step 4: Each full movement is counted as one repetition. If possible, perform 15 repetitions per set and three sets in total.

Although this exercise may not seem as challenging as the others, don’t be fooled. It works important muscles and can even increase your cardiovascular strength.

5. Planks

While the plank exercise may seem easy at first, it becomes increasingly difficult with repetition. I consider the plank one of the all-time greatest exercises for overall strengthening.

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• Step 1: Assume a prone position on the floor, lying with your chest and stomach downward. Rise onto your elbows while keeping your upper arms straight and at shoulder width, palms on the floor, head up and facing forward, and your back straight (a straight back is critical).
• Step 2: Simply hold this position for as long as you can, for up to one minute.
• Step 3: Perform three episodes in this position, which counts as three sets.

The plank exercise is always challenging, especially if you haven’t done it before. It’s essential to maintain good form and keep at it to see improvement.

When performed each day, these exercises can help you defeat post-COVID fatigue, allowing you to regain strength. Feel free to modify the order in which you complete these exercises, and adjust as your strength increases.

I always tell my patients that there are three things that are hard to gain and easy to lose: money, muscles, and happiness. Being steadfast and consistent with these exercises can help you regain your strength, endurance, and energy.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.