The information below provides advice for adults recovering from COVID-19 on resting positions to help ease breathlessness and simple exercises for returning to activity.
Positions of ease for breathlessness
Resting positions
These positions may help if you are breathless at rest or if you are feeling very tired or exhausted.
Make sure you are fully over on your side. Resting your upper arm on a pillow may also help,
Relax down onto the pillows as much as possible. Having your legs apart may also help.
Positions to ease breathlessness after activity
Sitting
Sitting down can be particularly helpful to ease breathlessness as it uses less energy than standing.
Illustration of person sitting on a chair leaning forwards
Illustration of person sitting on a chair resting their arms on a table whilst slightly leaning forwards
Illustration of person standing against a wall, knees slightly bent
Illustration of person standing with hands behind their head and legs apart
Illustration of person leaning against a wall, with arms above their head
Illustration of person standing with legs apart and hands on their hips
Illustration of person in a standing position leaning over, resting their forearms on a banister
Breathlessness and returning to activity
Examples of exercises
These exercises are designed to help strengthen your muscles and improve your general fitness. Each exercise is graded for people who are low, moderate and high functioning. Your physiotherapist will advise you on which exercise grade to complete.
Sitting in a chair, lift your knees alternatively so that your feet rise off the floor.
Lift your knees alternately as high as you can. Swing your arms in rhythm to your marching.
Climb up and down the stairs trying not to use the bannister. Concentrate on keeping your hip, knee and ankle aligned.
Sitting in a chair, lift your heels off the floor keeping your toes in contact with the ground. Hold for a few seconds before slowly lowering down. You can do both feet together or one at a time.
Holding onto a supportive surface, lift both heels off the floor. Hold for a few seconds before slowly lowering back down.
On a step, stand tall on one leg. Your forefoot should be on the edge of the step with a towel roll placed under your toes. Take support if needed. Push up onto your toes, counting slowly to 3 and then hold for 2 seconds. Lower the heel towards the floor by counting to 3.
Sitting in a chair, slowly slide your foot back as far as you can behind you and then forwards, keeping your foot in contact with the floor. You can do alternate legs or several repetitions per leg before swapping over.
Holding onto a supportive surface, bend your knees alternatively to lift your foot towards your bottom.
Bend alternate knees aiming for your foot to touch your bottom. At the same time bend both elbows towards your shoulders. You can add hand weights to make it harder.
Sitting in a chair, lift your foot off the ground to straighten your leg at the knee keeping your toes pointed towards the ceiling. Try to hold for a few seconds before slowly lowering back down.
Stand with your feet hip width apart and slowly bend your knees keeping your back straight and reaching your arms out in front of you. Squeeze your bottom as you return to standing. You can hold onto a supporting surface if needed.
Stand with your feet wide apart and hold onto a weight, this could be a gym weight or a heavy book. Bend your knees keeping your back straight. Squeeze your bottom as you return to standing.
Sitting in a chair, punch your arms out alternatively in front of you. If you can, try marching your feet at the same time.
Punch your arms out in front of you whilst marching your feet.
Step both feet up and down onto a step whilst punching your arms out in front of you.
Sitting in a chair, bend your arms alternatively to touch you hand to your shoulder. You can add a light weight such as a water bottle or can of beans to make it harder.
Stand with your hands by your side. Bend your arms alternatively to touch you hand to your shoulder. March your feet at the same time if able. You can add a light weight such as a water bottle or can of beans.
Stand tall with your arms by your side and your palms facing inwards, holding a gym weight or resistance band in each hand. Bend your elbows and bring your palms towards your shoulders. Return to the position in a controlled manner.
Sitting in a chair, punch your arms out alternatively above your head. If you can, try marching your feet at the same time.
Raise both arms above your head whilst stepping alternate feet back behind you.
Stand tall and hold a weight at shoulder height in both hands. Press the weights up by straightening your arms and then return to the starting position in a controlled manner. Keep your abdominals tight to avoid arching your back.
Measurements of breathlessness
The tool below can be used to help you rate your breathlessness at rest and when completing activities. This can help you to tailor your exercises to the correct intensity and to help you to monitor your fatigue and breathlessness levels during the day.
The Modified BORG Dyspnoea Scale
The BORG Scale allows you to rate the difficulty of your breathing starting at number 0 where your breathing is causing you no difficulty at all and progressing through to number 10 where your breathing difficulty is maximal. When completing exercises, someone in previously good health should aim for a score of 6-7. Someone with a chronic health condition which normally affects their breathing should aim for a score of 3-4.
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0
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Nothing at all
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0.5
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Very, very slight (just noticeable)
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1
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Very slight
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2
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Slight
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3
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Moderate
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4
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Somewhat severe
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5
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Severe
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6
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7
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Very Severe
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8
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9
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Very, very severe (almost maximal)
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10
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Maximal
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Parameters set by physiotherapist:
We are smoke-free
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the hospital campus. For advice and support in quitting, contact your GP or the free NHS stop smoking helpline on 0800 169 0 169.
Other formats
Help accessing this information in other formats is available. To find out more about the services we provide, please visit our patient information help page (see link below) or telephone 01223 256998. www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/accessible-information/
Contact us
Cambridge University Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust
Hills Road, Cambridge
CB2 0QQ
Telephone +44 (0)1223 245151
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/contact-enquiries/
