There's a lot floating around about new trial graded exercise 'treatments' for M.E and Long Covid floating around again. History is repeating itself.
Time after time, those in the chronic illness community have spoken about the harm 'pushing through' pain and fatigue can do to a sufferer of Post Exertional Malaise.
Yet, rather than being guided by mounting biomedical research that shows there is a biological reason behind these symptoms, medical practitioners are still holding on to the 'sufferers are just deconditioned' narrative.
Post-Exertional Malaise causes a sufferer a real disproportionate blowback if a sufferer goes 'past their limits'. This can not only create an increase in fatigue and symptoms in the short term - often for days after - it can permanently reduce your capabilities in the long term. The chronic illness community is packed full of horror stories about individuals who have taken part in exercise-based treatments (formal or informal) and have made themselves so sick, they are housebound and/or unable to take care of themselves. The worst affected are unable to get out of bed.
If you are still feeling fatigued after Covid or any other bout of illness, don't get persuaded into 'exercising to health'. Follow the advice of the chronic illness community and practice 'radical rest'. Break longer activities into manageable chunks and avoid exercising to exhaustion.
When I became chronically ill, I found this guide absolutely invaluable.
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