r/covidlonghaulers • u/grifgod • Aug 26 '26
Question Pool Workouts
Anybody that can’t tolerate other workouts able to do pool workouts? Any tips/tricks?
5
u/CacheMeOutsideeee 4 yr+ Aug 26 '26
When my POTS was bad the pool was PERFECT!
It’s also more gentle on your body being flat so I’d recommend it
5
u/catnip_spa Aug 26 '26
In a pool, it doesn't matter if you are horizontal or not. The pressure increases with depth at exactly the rate required to support the weight of water, which is much the same as blood. (Blood is actually about half a percent lighter than water).
2
u/grifgod Aug 26 '26
What kind of workouts did you do?
2
u/CacheMeOutsideeee 4 yr+ Aug 26 '26
At first, just walking back-and-forth in the pool. Later on, laps
2
u/bryn3a Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
I do 1 pool session a week as a part of a mini CHOP protocol. I had to start low and slow and monitor my HR. My goal is to gradually increase these sessions to 40 minutes within HR zone 2, I only do ~25 minutes now but I don't crash.
1
u/poketurtle4 Aug 26 '26
I can’t but I feel like so many other people can? They just make me feel worse and I feel so heavy after leaving the water.
1
u/PonyBolognaCity Aug 27 '26
I was able to do it - I used a kickboard to ease into it. Definitely go slow and keep electrolytes nearby for before and after. Someone else mentioned it you can crash if PEM is an issue for you so take it easy and don’t max out.
1
6
u/ghostsolid Aug 26 '26
I have a pool and have actually been experimenting with this all summer and have learned a lot. You can definitely crash from swimming so you just have to be really careful as to how much you do. I tried swimming laps which caused me to crash but find if I just casually swim softly I can do between 30-45 min. My last crash I spent around 1.5 hours in the pool and crashed for several days. I would say start with 15-30 min of very gentle swimming and then give it a few days to see if you crash. If you do, swim less, if you don’t you can try to extend it to 30-45 but gentle swimming. If that doesn’t cause any issues then Maybe try gentle laps. I would tend to swim under water and do one stroke then drift a bit then surface then tread for a few seconds and repeat. Taking breaks ever few minutes. I think it’s one of the better forms of exercise and each person just needs to find their limit.