The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter

In part two of Jackie’s conversation with physiotherapist and Long Covid patient Robin McNelis (“Robin the Physio”), they dig into how heart rate monitors and wearables can support (or sabotage) pacing in Long Covid and ME/CFS. Robin shares both clinical and personal examples of using tech as a behaviour-change tool, not a dictator, and how it can help people eventually trust their bodies more, not less.

In This Episode:

When heart rate monitoring is helpful and when it becomes stressful and counterproductive
Robin’s concept of “counterintuitive” heart rate monitoring and why some people need to start with higher alert thresholds
Real-life examples of unexpected triggers (like showering, stairs, and bending) and how tiny tweaks made big differences
Using devices first to learn your boundaries, then turning down or off alerts to lean more on body awareness
How to decide if tech is right for you right now: What is it helping you change? Is it reducing crashes or just adding pressure?

Key Takeaways

Tech is optional: it’s the right tool for the right person, at the right time, in the right way.
The goal isn’t perfect data—it’s better awareness, steadier pacing, and fewer boom-and-bust crashes.

Links:
More about Robin: http://www.robinthephysio.co.uk 
Check out Part 1 of this discussion: 223 - Holistic Detective Work: Unpicking Breath, Pacing & Fatigue with Robin the Physio 

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For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Jackie is joined by Robin McNelis (Robin the Physio), a cardio‑respiratory physio and Long Covid specialist, who went from running marathons and leading hospital services to his own Long Covid recovery journey.
In this episode:
What happens when all your tests are “normal” but you’re clearly not.
Robin’s role as a “holistic detective” for complex breathing, fatigue and Long Covid cases.
How ideas from elite sport and marginal gains translate to people just trying to shower or get to the bathroom without crashing.
The reality of post‑Covid personal bests and why “small” wins matter.
A practical, compassionate look at pacing across physical, cognitive, emotional and social exertion, using the FITT principles.
Real‑life stories of patients reclaiming reading, hobbies and daily life through tiny, well‑timed adjustments.
This is Part 1 of the conversation - tune in next week for more on pacing, heart rate, breathing, and tools to support recovery.

Links:
More about Robin: http://www.robinthephysio.co.uk

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

I talk with clinical psychologist Dr Jake Hollis about recovering from ME/CFS and Long Covid, and why the nervous system offers a more useful frame than the tired “mind versus body” argument. We explore how validation, language, and recovery stories can shift the brain’s predictions and open up real possibilities for change. 

• Jake’s lived experience of long-term illness and a slow recovery path 
• How neuroplastic recovery therapies fit alongside biology rather than replacing it 
• Why recovery stories can create a visceral nervous system shift 
• The harm caused when recovered people are disbelieved or silenced 
• How the mind body divide shows up in healthcare systems and culture 
• Biomarkers, legitimacy, and why absence of a test is not absence of illness 
• Mental health stigma as a hidden driver of conflict and miscommunication 
• Emotional suppression, shame, and “keep calm and carry on” conditioning 
• Blame versus responsibility as a more compassionate recovery framework 

Links:
More about Jake: www.fatiguepsychologist.com
Unlearn Your Pain in the US and in the UK
Howard Schubiner chats to Rangan Chatterjee

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Five years after starting the Long Covid Podcast, Jackie introduces The Recovery Room – a wider, gentler space for anyone navigating Long Covid, ME/CFS, Dysautonomia, PoTS, Trauma, Burnout, nervous system overwhelm, and long-term recovery.
In this episode, Jackie shares:
Why the podcast is evolving and what “The Recovery Room” means.
How her own recovery showed that healing is about more than symptoms.
How Long Covid overlaps with other conditions, and why this space now holds many experiences, not just one diagnosis
What’s staying the same: evidence-informed conversations, recovery stories, nervous system insights, and honest, vulnerable discussions held in a way that feels safe.
She closes with a short grounding practice you can use anytime:
Noticing your breath
Gently checking in with how you feel
Asking, “What would help me feel 1% safer right now?”
Remembering that small, consistent, gentle shifts are the foundation of recovery.
Practical updates:
The podcast is now called The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter
Social media, visuals, and app names will update over the coming days
The new website is live: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Welcome to The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter
This space is the natural evolution of a journey that began during my own recovery and through 5 years of the Long Covid Podcast.
A place for anyone navigating a health challenge where they feel misunderstood, isolated and uncertain of the future.
A place where science and lived experience sit side by side.
A place where fear can soften, and hope can feel realistic again. 
Gain actionable insights and tools through honest stories, conversations and the power of connection

Listen to The Recovery Room wherever you get your podcasts or at www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**