I’m sure you’re doing everything you can to avoid catching covid or any other virus for that matter. Because at the end of the day, no one likes to be sick in bed counting the hours and days until you find relief.

But still, it’s normal to worry about how you’d take care of yourself if you became infected. That’s why in today’s email I want to tell you how real life doctors have recovered from covid and are back running at full speed.

Steam In the Morning

A hot soak first thing in the morning, followed by applying Vicks VapoRub to her chest, helped urgent-care physician Jehanne Julien-Banica, D.O., of New York, feel better while she was battling Covid.

“A 15-minute bath calmed the cough that hit when I woke up,” she says. And applying the rub to her chest eased the burning sensation when she breathed.

Plus, studies show steam reduces the airway inflammation that triggers coughing, while the camphor, eucalyptus and menthol in the rub open nasal passages. So this is a proven way to calm the body and breathe easier.

Drink A Protein Smoothie

When someone contracts covid, the body starts to break down muscle tissue for energy to keep everything running. That’s according to Sanjay Dogra, M.D., a pulmonary critical-care specialist in Michigan.

But getting enough protein into your diet protects and even builds muscle, so you feel less tired.

That’s why he added protein powder to berry smoothies daily when he was ill. The berries helped to boost the immune system and the protein helped to replace broken down muscle tissue.

Try A New Sleep Position

The way you sleep can make it difficult to breathe. And if you have a hard time breathing while you sleep, it makes it very challenging to get a refreshing night of rest and for your body to recover from an infection.

Changing positions in bed and sitting upright helped Michael Cascarina, M.D., breathe easier while sleeping, which he credits with helping him recover from covid faster.

(If you haven’t tried them already, wedge pillows can help you sleep comfortably at an incline.)

Keep Moving

Even if it’s just walking to the kitchen, it’s very important to keep active if you get sick.

“I tried to stay out of bed except for naps and sleeping at night,” John DeTullio, M.D., a pulmonologist/critical care physician in New Jersey, said about his experience with covid.

He clocked at least 3,000 steps daily from his bedroom during his recovery. Staying active gives the lungs some exercise and helps them expand and stay strong.

Keep A Pulse Oximeter Nearby

“Feeling winded is scary,” says Dr. Dogra. So it can give folks peace of mind to monitor oxygen levels at home.”

The easiest way to do that is to use a pulse oximeter, which clips onto your fingertip and measures blood oxygen levels.

Readings of 92 percent and above are a good sign. If your reading dips below 90 percent, call your doctor.

Lay On Your Belly

While resting (but not while sleeping), Dr. DeTullio lays on his stomach.

This opens air sacs deep within the lungs to prevent pneumonia-causing toxins from collecting there.

Studies also suggest this strategy (called proning) may help boost oxygen levels in covid patients.

Of course, it’s a bummer that these doctors caught covid. But it’s really great that we can learn from their experience and how they recovered so we can apply it to our own lives if that day ever comes.

So, as always…

Stay safe and take the proper precautions… but keep this list in your back pocket… and not only for covid. These recovery techniques will help anytime you’re feeling under the weather.

All the best.