In late January, I attended a three-day transformational workshop with 900 other people. A few days after that event, I ran a fever. I was listless and weak. My body was aching, and I was coughing. I ended up in bed for three days.
Although I hated getting sick, I was pleasantly surprised that I recovered relatively quickly. The last time I got a similar illness was in January 2020 after a conference in Dubai. I was knocked out for six weeks and almost went to the emergency room from severe coughing. After the whole ordeal, my pelvic floor was wrecked.
What changed? I’ve had five years of working out with Rev6 six times a week under my belt.
This exercise program helps me get sick less often and less violently, and serves as a great tool for recovery from illness.
I noticed that many of my patients are falling ill—as often as two to six times per year—and many of you might be in the same boat. So I picked out the six best Rev6 exercises that you can do as a workout for when you need to recover and boost your immunity.
What types of exercises should you do when recovering from the flu?
The main reason why Rev6 is such a potent workout program for recovery and immunity is its focus on the fascia. The fascia is the connective tissue that supports, protects, connects, and nourishes every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. I created Rev6 exercises with the principles of the fascia in mind.
When your fascia is healthy, you have a more balanced autonomic nervous system. And when your parasympathetic nervous system is working as intended, your immune system works better as well.
Your fascia also influences your circulation, as the blood and lymph vessels travel through the fascia. Proper circulation is important for delivering nourishment and eliminating waste from the body, which is crucial for immunity.
Furthermore, healthy fascia strengthens your pelvic floor, which is heavily affected by lying in bed for too long and excessive coughing.
What are the best exercises to recover from the flu?
When recovering from the flu, it’s best to avoid exercises with ballistic movements. Your vestibular or balance system will likely be off-kilter after illness, so it’s best to avoid exercises involving jumping or explosive motions.
Instead, opt for exercises that are gentle on your body and won’t elevate your stress hormones. They should ideally also encourage lymphatic drainage, as well as improve parasympathetic function. Here are six of my favorites exercises that accomplish these feats:
Exercise 1: Frog Rock
The Frog Rock is a favorite among my patients and students for its nice calming effect. It encourages the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which is important for nervous system health.
How to do the Frog Rock:
Exercise 2: Supine Knees Side to Side
Supine Knees Side to Side is great for kidney, liver, gallbladder, and gut function. It also mobilizes the lymphatic system.
How to do the Supine Knees Side to Side:
Exercise 3: Side Toss
The Side Toss promotes healthy ribs so they don’t get compromised from coughing. This exercise creates space between your ribs, helping your lungs work better and diaphragm get stronger.
How to do the Side Toss:
Exercise 4: Pull Overs
The Pull Overs make your intercostal muscles—the muscle group between the ribs—and fascia more resilient and durable. It also improves the strength of your lower abs and pelvic floor.
How to do the Pull Overs:
Exercise 5: Horizontal Wall Squats
The Horizontal Wall Squats are my personal favorite. I love how it massages the kidneys, facilitating detoxification. This exercise also activates the pelvic floor and diaphragm.
How to do the Horizontal Wall Squats:
Exercise 6: Plie Bounce
This final exercise, the Plie Bounce, targets the pelvic floor. The stronger your pelvic floor is, the stronger your intrinsic core. This, in turn, benefits your diaphragm and lung function.
How to do the Plie Bounce:
- Sit on top of the ball with your feet in plie position.
- Bounce on the ball, going for the rebound.
- While bouncing, slowly inhale through your nose for 8 seconds.
- Slowly exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.
I hope you enjoy doing these exercises! You can do all six along with me in a 14-minute workout with this video.
If you want more Rev6, I encourage you to sign up for a membership, which comes with a 7-day free trial.