Restarting exercise after a cold or setback Start your activity at a reduced amount For example, if you cycled for 3 minutes before your setback, start at 15 seconds and increase by 15 seconds a session until you reach 3 minutes and then increase in the usual controlled graduations. if you cycled for 10 minutes before your setback, start at 2 minutes and increase by a minute a session until you reach 10 minutes and then increase in the usual controlled graduations. Restart your other activities: marching / dancing / jogging; stairs; walk, at a reduced level and expect to take several days to build back up to the exercise times you performed before the setback. Symptoms may increase again causing fear of relapse, but remember these are the symptoms of physical deconditioning, nothing else. You will not relapse to any great extent because of stamina built up during the regular activity performed before the setback. But it is important to resume your activity plan as soon as possible so as to move forward again.
A warning from those who recover! Patients, who have recovered using a gradually increasing activity programme, say that the early weeks are the most difficult. ~ Many felt they had been generally active during the time they had CFS and in consequence did not realise just how physically unfit they had become. -:
~ As a result they pitched their activity level too high for their reduced level of physical stamina and after a few days felt overwhelming symptoms. ~ They then had to reduce the level of activity to a level that allowed them to cope with essential daily tasks as well as the chosen activity to avoid overwhelming symptoms.
It is common for CFS patients to feel that they have been active whilst battling through their condition. And in fact many have. They actually have been too active for their reduced level of physical stamina. A result of that over activity is overwhelming symptoms which in turn necessitate rest. Over time rest and periods of inactivity, even though irregular and infrequent, have caused the running down or deconditioning of the body's physical systems. Recognising this pattern in your own behaviour is one of the steps on the road to recovery. Once you are aware of this pitfall you can control your activity plan tightly so avoiding mini relapses. 65