6 tips to beat your post Covid fatigue

Of late, many people have been reaching out to me with this common problem — low energy levels and extreme fatigue that has started affecting them post a Covid diagnosis. We usually suggest that when you work out, your body releases feel good hormones and the mild symptoms of low energy will come under control but particularly with post Covid fatigue, workouts make it worse and a few people even face breathing difficulties. Covid-19 affects our body at a cellular level and can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction; energy production takes place in the mitochondria of the cell which takes up chemical energy from food and makes energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is utilised by each and every cell. When the function of mitochondria is affected, the body cannot produce energy and that can further cause fatigue despite sleeping, eating and exercising well.

A viral infection can impact the homeostasis of our body and the mitochondria starts self destructing through cell proliferation, self apoptosis (killing of cells) which further affects communication between cells, immune system and energy levels. That’s why, post Covid, the system is going to generate less ATP and everyone faces post Covid fatigue. So how do we improve these symptoms? It will take time but we can start with the tips below to manage these symptoms:

• Rest and recovery is most important, so avoid over exertion. Walking and light activity is fine but avoid doing heavy exercises and workouts if your energy levels are already low because this will delete your ATP, making you feel more fatigued. So avoid over exercising and focus more on getting complete rest with minimal movement.
• Decrease toxin exposure for your body by skipping alcohol or smoking, reducing the intake of processed and junk food and shifting from refined to cold pressed cooking oils or A2 ghee etc.
• Improve protein intake in the form of organic non-veg options or a combination of pulses and grains to build muscle mass because more muscle contains more mitochondria, which will help in improving energy levels. Gradually starting with mild weight training will also be helpful but always do it under guidance.
• Glutathione, as we all know is the master antioxidant that helps in improving overall inflammation in the body and this helps in improving energy production. So try and have a good amount of cruciferous veggies to improve glutathione production in the body naturally.
• Vitamin E protects the cell membrane of mitochondria from oxidative stress and this can increase ATP production, so check with your healthcare provider to start on vitamin E supplements or get it naturally from nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts etc.
• Avoid disturbed sleep, as this can cause a mitochondrial dysfunction, more oxidative stress and increase inflammation which can cause fatigue. That’s why resting, sleeping and hydration is extremely important.

Follow these basic steps to improve energy levels gradually because our body’s intelligence helps us in healing, we just have to be watchful of the same.