Just when you thought it was all over, it appears another wave of Covid is sweeping across the UK. The BA.4 and BA.5 waves of Omicron have led to a rise in cases, with the latest ZOE health study figures indicating that around 291,000 infections a day are now occurring around the UK.
While the milder effects of Omicron and the benefits of vaccinations mean fewer people ending up in hospital or dying, the dangers of Long Covid still remain and can still affect those who have had mild symptoms or even been asymptomatic.
For sufferers, this can mean fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, insomnia, joint pain and much else besides.
However, if you are suffering from these things – or end up doing so after getting an infection in this latest wave – pilates and yoga might come to your aid.
Techniques have been recommended for some time that can help. Last year, Only My Health recommended pilates for recovering from Covid symptoms, describing it as “a perfect system to promote post-Covid recovery without putting much pressure on the body.”
The reason for this is that pilates provides a series of core exercises that will strengthen your body without putting major stress on it. Moreover, it promotes good breathing, which can be critical when you have chest tightness and breathing difficulty as a result of the impact of the virus on your lungs.
Among the exercises is work using the arm muscles, which helps to exercise secondary muscles used in supporting breathing.
There are also Yoga exercises that similarly help your body recover from extended post-Covid symptoms.
A key point with these exercises is that with a stronger core and less tightness around your shoulders, your chest area is less compressed, helping ease breathing.
With this sort of help, you will soon find that your symptoms have eased and you can take an important step towards living a more normal life again.
Looking for Pilates classes near me? Contact Pila Yoga today