A practical approach to rest and recovery after periods of chronic stress or illness
Does this sound familiar?
“I thought I was done being sick a month ago, but I’m still tired.”
“My doctor said I need to rest more, but I am resting. What more can I do?”
“I keep thinking I can start exercising again, but every workout leaves me feeling like I was hit by a bus.”
This course will help you regulate your energy to rest well and escape the push-crash cycle!
If you’ve had a viral illness or a prolonged bout of stress, it’s not unexpected to feel tired. But ongoing, crushing fatigue could be a sign of a more serious condition. One of the first warning signs of serious autonomic dysfunction is “post-exertional malaise” – fatigue that sets in up to 72 hours after you exert yourself physically, mentally, or emotionally. Post-exertional malaise, or PEM, is commonly seen in patients with Long Covid, adrenal fatigue, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Managing your energy expenditures is a critical part of preventing “normal tiredness” from turning into a more debilitating, long-term condition. You’ve probably been told to “take it easy” and “don’t push yourself too hard” – but the kind of rest and recuperation needed when you have PEM is different from what you’re used to. It’s especially tricky because you’re most likely to overdo it when you feel good – so your familiar body signals about when it’s ok to do a little more might not be accurate at this time.
This course will give you concrete guidelines for deciding whether you need rest, gentle activity, or regular activity. It will help you recalibrate your ideas of what “rest” and “gentle activity” look like, and it provides exercise videos for each stage. And as a bonus, it includes a week of menus to help support your recovery!
Course outcomes
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Distinguish between “normal tiredness” and “dysregulated fatigue state”
- Describe the dangers and warning signs of post-exertional malaise
- Prioritize your activities, reduce excess exertion, and rest more thoroughly
- Use heart rate data to find – and stay within – your safe exercise limits
Who it’s for
This course may be right for you if you:
- Have recovered from a viral illness but aren’t feeling back to your normal energy levels yet
- Are dragging from day to day due to chronic stress
- Consider yourself an otherwise healthy adult
- Feel like you can’t do your “easy” workouts without crashing the next day
- Can’t find a balance between “bed rest” and “overdoing it”
Cautions
This course:
- Is NOT A CURE for Long Covid, adrenal fatigue, or ME/CFS
- Is NOT A REPLACEMENT for a doctor’s care, medications, or other ongoing treatments
- Should be approached with caution if you have been diagnosed with Long Covid or ME/CFS – there are likely additional confounding factors besides PEM that you need to take into account
Please note: I am not a doctor! I am a somatic wellness specialist. I originally gathered this advice during my own recovery from post-viral fatigue. I am also continually expanding my understanding of Long Covid and related conditions to help my bodywork clients. Please see “About the Instructor” and “Disclaimer” below for more information before enrolling.