The number one thing you’ve been asking for lately is how to get back to pilates after having covid or the flu.
It can be challenging to get back to exercise after being sick. Our bodies feel more fragile, achy and we have less energy. The other reason it’s hard to roll out our mat is because while we’re sick, we get out of the routine and it can be challenging to pick it back up again.
My advice is to start very gently. When I don’t feel like I could manage a full pilates workout, I simply remove the expectation. I tell myself that I’ll do 10 minutes of stretching. Sometimes, that’s enough and other times it’s the starting point to carrying on with a full workout! You see, we need to make the hoops easy to jump through when we want to get back into exercise. If I set myself the goal of one hour of exercise every day, I would most likely fail. This is not good for the way I want to view my pilates time.
Make sure you achieve the goals you set for yourself, then give yourself a quiet high 5 when they’re done! – It may sound silly, but it works! You have nothing to lose by testing this technique out!
With this in mind, I’ve come up with these 4 exercises you can do right now. They are perfect to help you gently get moving and feel your energy rise again.
Do these moves before you go to bed or when you wake up in the morning. Then give yourself a high 5 and continue tomorrow.
Side to Side
Lie on your back and take your knees from side to side, keeping the knees together.
Book Openings
Lie on your side with your knees together and open one arm to the side. – Allow your upper body to open and twist.
Knee Circles
Lie on your back and put your hands on your knees. Circle the knees around in both directions.
Leg Slides and Arm Arcs
Lie on your back and slide one leg away while the arm arcs over your head. Do 10 like this on each side.
I hope you feel better soon, friend!
Beth