Positives

• Graduates of the free 12-week course often say breathlessness eases, anxiety falls and they feel “reassured and supported” after the in-person group sessions. Nuffield Health

• A Reddit participant on week 7 praised the 1-to-1 physio calls, saying staff “really understand POTS and PEM” and let patients set gentle, individualized targets. Reddit

• Several UK long-haulers report that very low-intensity classes helped them raise baseline stamina when they kept heart-rate low and paced carefully. Reddit

• A colleague in Nuffield’s Printworks gym “sang the praises” of the scheme, calling it “so effective” for their Long-COVID recovery. LinkedIn

• An outcomes study of the blended digital + community model showed clinically significant gains in fitness and quality-of-life scores after 12 weeks. ResearchGate

Negatives

• Many Redditors with PEM/ME call the plan “marketing BS” or “complete ****,” warning graded exercise can worsen crashes. Reddit

• One user felt good at first but relapsed hard after week 8 and said the programme “didn’t protect me from a massive crash.” Byline Times

• Another participant dropped out when group workouts triggered chest pain, migraines and post-exertional malaise. Reddit

• A member was removed minutes before their first session because staff missed POTS red-flags, calling screening “poor.” Reddit

• Critics say sessions feel generic and lack PEM education, leaving some patients feeling gas-lit or unsafe. Reddit

Hurdles & Side Effects

• Access can be slow: in Sept 2021 the charity had 900 active users and 1,600 on the waiting list. Byline Times

• Local adverts highlight “limited spaces,” and the virtual-only option often fills quickly. InstagramNuffield Health

• Weeks 7-12 require travel to a Nuffield gym, a barrier for house-bound or rural patients. Nuffield Health

• Entry involves lengthy questionnaires and a video triage call, which some find burdensome when fatigued. Nuffield HealthNuffield Health

• Several attendees say cardio segments spiked heart-rate and chest pain, forcing them to scale back or stop. Reddit

• An evaluation of Welsh services noted people had to discover and self-refer to Nuffield because NHS options were limited. cedar.nhs.wales