Exercise after illness

After being ill, it is best to return to exercise gradually. Here is a plan, plus the signs that mean slow down.

Your details

Minutes a week before you were ill
Minutes a week you can manage now
Step up each time
Weeks at each level

From 60 back to 150 minutes a week

20 weeks

if each 10% step goes well

  • Weeks 1 to 260 min a week
  • Weeks 3 to 466 min a week
  • Weeks 5 to 673 min a week
  • Weeks 7 to 880 min a week
  • Weeks 9 to 1088 min a week
  • Weeks 11 to 1297 min a week
  • Steps up10

After each step, check how you feel over the next 24 to 48 hours. If symptoms flare, drop back a level and hold it for 2 to 4 weeks. If you have, or think you may have, ME/CFS, NICE advises against fixed step up programmes like this one, so talk to your GP or specialist team first. Long COVID? Your GP can refer you to a post-COVID service.

Stop and get help if you have chest pain, feel faint or are unusually breathless. Call 999 for chest pain that does not go away. Check with your GP before a big step up if you have a heart, lung or joint condition.

The working

From 60 back to 150 minutes, 10% steps, 2 weeks each

60 minutes rising by 10% each step goes 60, 66, 73, 80, 88, 97 and on. It takes 10 steps to reach 150, so about 20 weeks if each step goes well.

How each step works

From an NHS post-COVID service

  • Increase by up to 10% at a time
  • Watch how you feel for the next 24 to 48 hours
  • Stay at each level for 2 to 4 weeks before going up
  • If symptoms flare, drop back to the last level that felt OK

If you have ME/CFS

Read this first

NICE advises that people with ME/CFS should not be offered programmes based on fixed increases in exercise, such as graded exercise therapy. This planner uses fixed steps, so if you have or might have ME/CFS, talk to your GP or specialist team instead. If you have long COVID, your GP can refer you to a post-COVID service.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Know your illnessRecovery after flu, surgery, COVID or a heart problem differs.
  • Replace your care teamFollow their plan if you have one.
  • Spot complicationsChest pain or breathlessness need checking.

Questions

Common questions

When can I exercise after being ill?

When you feel well and any fever has gone. Start gently and build up.

How quickly can I build back up?

An NHS post-COVID service suggests increasing by up to 10% at a time and staying at each level for 2 to 4 weeks.

What if I feel worse after exercising?

Drop back to the last level that felt OK and stay there longer. If symptoms are severe or keep coming back, see your GP.

Is this safe with ME/CFS?

NICE advises against fixed step up programmes for ME/CFS, so please talk to your GP or specialist team first.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Get checked if

Call 999 for chest pain that does not go away. See your GP before returning to exercise after a heart problem, surgery or a serious illness, or if you get chest pain, palpitations, unusual breathlessness or dizziness when active. Your GP can refer you to a post-COVID service if you have long COVID symptoms.

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