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Physiotherapy exercises

Reconnect with your body and movement.

You may leave intensive care with varying degrees of weakness or difficulty moving. ICU-acquired weakness, including critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy, is common and can improve with early rehabilitation. With the generous support of Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), we have brought together simple exercises that can be practised every day to help you regain as much of your previous independence as possible.

The exercises are divided into three main stages. Choose the stage that matches your current goals and muscle strength:

Goal: turn onto your side in bed

Preparatory exercises

#1

Starting position: lying in bed
Point and flex your feet.
Repeat as often as you feel comfortable.

#2

Starting position: lying in bed
Press the back of your knee into the mattress to straighten your leg.
Hold the contraction for 6 seconds.

Functional exercises

#3

Starting position: lying in bed
Slide one heel along the mattress to bring one knee at a time towards you.
Repeat 8–10 times on each side.

#4

Starting position: lying in bed
Roll onto one side, then the other.
Repeat 5–8 times on each side.

Goal: sit on the edge of the bed

Preparatory exercises

#5

Starting position: lying in bed
With your knees bent, lift your shoulders off the bed and look towards your abdomen.
Hold the position for 6 seconds.

#6

Starting position: lying in bed
Bend one knee and touch it with the opposite hand.
Hold the position for 6 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.

Functional exercises

#7

Starting position: lying in bed
With your knees bent, slowly lower them from side to side.
Repeat as often as you feel comfortable.

#8

Starting position: lying on your side
Bring your legs over the edge of the bed and push up with both arms to sit up.
Repeat 5–8 times on each side.

Goal: stand up

Preparatory exercises

#9

Starting position: sitting in a chair with your hands on the armrests
Push down through your arms to lift your hips off the chair.
Repeat 8–10 times.

#10

Starting position: standing in front of a chair
Perform mini-squats while holding on to a chair or another stable support.

Functional exercises

#11

Starting position: sitting on the edge of the bed, with a chair in front of you
Holding on to the chair for support, begin to stand by lifting your hips off the bed, then sit back down.
Repeat 5–10 times.

#12

Starting position: standing with one hand on a chair for support
Lift one leg at a time and balance on the other leg.
Hold the position for 6–10 seconds.

You can increase or reduce the number of repetitions so that the exercise produces a manageable feeling of muscular effort or builds endurance.