Shortness of breath. Coughing. Mucus. Zero energy. A flight of stairs that suddenly feels like a mountain. A conversation that drains you. And a body that, months after COVID, is still not back to where it was.
Long COVID is not simply “feeling a bit tired after COVID.” For people experiencing long-term post-COVID symptoms, multiple systems can be impacted at once: airways, muscles, physical exertion, energy production, sleep, concentration, and recovery after exertion.
At HaloClinic, we focus directly on an area we can actively work on every single day: your airways.
During 60 minutes, a professional halogenerator disperses microscopically fine, dry particles of medicinal salt throughout the salt room. This professional dry salt inhalation loosens mucus, cleanses the airways, and promotes freer breathing.
60 minutes · Free · No obligation · Zaandam or Heemstede
First Barbara. Then the theory.
Barbara — from every sentence being a marathon to getting her life back
Barbara developed Long COVID. The shortness of breath would not go away. Talking was nearly impossible. Every sentence felt like a marathon. She was stuck at home and unable to work.
This is what Barbara wrote herself about her visits to the salt room:
“Ik ben pas 5 keer geweest en nu merk ik dat ik langzaam beter word. Na 2,5 jaar zware hoest kan ik nu eindelijk beter slapen! 's Nachts bijna geen hoest meer! In de reguliere gezondheidszorg ben ik allang opgegeven. En nu 2 keer per week de zoutkamer in! Er is nog hoop! Ik heb 100% vertrouwen dat ik beter word! 🙏”
What are you really looking to get back?
People with Long COVID do not come to HaloClinic out of an interest in salt particles. They want to:
- have a conversation again without feeling exhausted
- breathe more freely
- experience less shortness of breath
- clear stubborn mucus
- go for a short walk again
- retain more energy
- sleep better
- get back to work and daily life
- feel like themselves again
Long COVID is more than a single symptom
Long COVID can affect multiple bodily processes simultaneously.
Airways
- shortness of breath
- coughing
- persistent mucus
- tightness in the chest
- sensitive airways
Rest of the body
- severe fatigue
- muscle weakness
- reduced exercise capacity
- poor sleep
- concentration difficulties / brain fog
- prolonged recovery after exertion
Start where breathing begins
When you are breathless, coughing heavily, or trapped with persistent mucus, every activity demands more energy. Talking. Walking. Taking the stairs. Showering. Running errands.
That is why at HaloClinic we focus first on something very direct: loosening mucus and keeping the airways as clear as possible. Does the coughing persistently linger? Read also about halotherapy for coughing. Are your nose and sinuses congested? View sinusitis and frontal sinusitis.
How does the salt reach your airways?
A professional halogenerator micronizes medicinal salt into dry aerosol particles. This dry salt aerosol is dispersed in a controlled manner throughout the salt room over the course of 60 minutes.
Through normal breathing, these particles enter the respiratory tract through the nose, throat, trachea, and bronchi. No mask. No mouthpiece. No special breathing exercises.
You sit and breathe normally. Learn more about the process in the science behind halotherapy.
What does halotherapy do for Long COVID symptoms?
- Loosens persistent mucus
- Promotes mucus clearance
- Cleanses the airways
- Reduces cough impulses
- Promotes freer breathing
- Reduces shortness of breath
- Promotes calmer breathing
- Keeps nasal passages and upper airways cleaner
- Promotes airway recovery
- Provides 60 minutes of rest and relaxation during recovery
60 minutes · Free · No obligation · Zaandam or Heemstede
Long COVID and energy: why breathing matters
A body that is already running on low energy cannot afford needlessly strained breathing.
When you are short of breath, coughing frequently, struggling to clear mucus, or sleeping poorly due to respiratory complaints, that continuously drains your energy. That is why freer breathing is not just comfortable.
It directly determines how much energy you have left for the rest of your day.
New VU research: Long COVID is also in the muscles
Fatigue is not simply “being out of shape”
New research from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC, published in 2026, identified structural changes in muscle fibers and signs of disrupted energy production within the muscles of individuals with Long COVID and ME/CFS. These changes could not be explained merely by prolonged inactivity; the study compared patient groups with healthy individuals following prolonged bed rest and identified distinctly different muscle changes.
Long COVID is not the same as “being out of shape”.
- altered muscle fiber composition
- evidence of impaired energy production
- altered mitochondrial function
- reduced exercise capacity
This research investigates the mechanisms of Long COVID, not halotherapy. Professional dry salt inhalation does not alter these muscle abnormalities. But it underscores an essential truth: when muscles and energy production are already under strain, it is vital that coughing, mucus, and breathlessness do not continuously drain your energy as well.
More air. Less mucus. More room to recover.
HaloClinic does not reduce Long COVID to a single explanation. But we see every day what a significant difference it makes when you clear mucus more easily, cough less, breathe more freely, sleep more soundly, and retain more energy.
For many clients, this is where recovery finally starts moving forward again.
Real Long COVID experiences
“Na corona ben ik twee jaar lang aan het opkrabbelen geweest met therapie en heb ik mijn werk langzaam moeten opbouwen. Toch was ik na het traplopen volledig kapot en lag ik na het werk meteen te slapen. Tot ik over de zoutkamer hoorde. Al na de tweede sessie merkte ik verschil en kon ik veel dieper ademhalen. Eerst ging ik wekelijks, daarna tweewekelijks, en uiteindelijk kon ik zeggen: ik ben er weer. Eindelijk corona overwonnen.”
Do not train harder when your body is not ready
With Long COVID, “just building up fitness” is not the right approach for everyone. For people who experience severe crashes after physical or mental exertion, pacing and carefully calibrated activity are essential. The new VU study likewise indicates that muscle impairments cannot simply be explained by a lack of exercise.
That is why we look not only at “How do you build endurance?” but first and foremost at “How do we stop breathing, coughing, and mucus from demanding even more energy?”
Salt and respiratory recovery are not a new combination
“The combination of salt and health goes back further than you think. As early as 1830, Polish physician Dr. Feliks Boczkowski discovered that salt mine workers almost never suffered from respiratory problems.”
Modern salt room technology brings this principle into a controlled clinical environment. A professional halogenerator produces a dry aerosol of microscopically fine medicinal salt particles throughout the session. Read the history of halotherapy or view the scientific studies.
Research conducted at HaloClinic Nederland
In 2021, a researcher from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam monitored clients in our salt room over a period of approximately six months. This is a separate, earlier HaloClinic study — distinct from the 2026 VU/Amsterdam UMC muscle study.
clients monitored
participants on medication stopped completely
participant reduced medication use
reported improvement
Within the monitored group, documented results included:
- less coughing
- less shortness of breath
- more air
- less mucus
- fewer colds
Two VU studies. Two different questions.
2021 — Study conducted at HaloClinic
What was studied? Monitored clients during halotherapy.
What was found? Focused on coughing, mucus, breathing, and medication reduction, among other factors.
Read the study2026 — VU Amsterdam / Amsterdam UMC
What was studied? Investigation into muscle fibers, energy production, mitochondria, and exertion in Long COVID and ME/CFS.
What was found? Distinctly different muscle changes than seen in inactivity; not a study on halotherapy.
Read the studyOne session introduces you. Recovery requires consistency.
According to our treatment guide, for Long COVID and prolonged respiratory complaints we advise: 2–3× per week, approx. 15–20 sessions. Afterwards: Evaluate and continue if needed.
60 minutes where you don't have to perform
Recovering from Long COVID can feel like every day revolves around managing limitations. In the salt room, nothing is demanded of you.
- keep your regular clothes on
- comfortable armchair
- breathe normally
- 60 minutes of rest
- professional dry salt inhalation
No workout. No performance. No rush. Read how clients experience their hour in the salt room.
Why HaloClinic?
- Professional halotherapy since 2011
- 15 years of clinical experience
- Thousands of visitors
- Experience with Long COVID since the pandemic
- Real Long COVID videos and reviews
- Professional halogenerator
- Medicinal salt
- 60 minutes per session
- VU study conducted at HaloClinic
- Active attention to new VU/Amsterdam UMC Long COVID research
- First session free
Watch Barbara and other clients on video as well.
What does it cost to experience it yourself first?
Your first session is free
You do not need to commit to a full plan today. You do not have to take our word for it.
Come sit for 60 minutes. Breathe. Experience firsthand how your airways respond.
- Professional dry salt inhalation
- Medicinal salt
- 60 minutes
- Zaandam or Heemstede
- Free
- No obligation
Locations
Clients with Long COVID visit our salt rooms in Zaandam and Heemstede.
Frequently asked questions about halotherapy for Long COVID
What does halotherapy do for Long COVID?
Professional dry salt inhalation targets the airways: it loosens mucus, cleanses the airways, and promotes freer breathing.
Does halotherapy clear mucus after COVID?
Yes. Dry salt inhalation loosens trapped mucus and promotes mucus clearance.
Why do I have so little energy after Long COVID?
Long COVID often affects multiple systems simultaneously. New research from VU Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC identified changes in muscle fibers and disrupted energy production in the muscles. Read more about this research.
Does this muscle research prove that halotherapy repairs muscle damage?
No. The muscle study investigates the biological mechanisms of Long COVID, not halotherapy. The relevance for HaloClinic: respiratory issues such as shortness of breath, coughing, and mucus also drain vital energy. The earlier VU study at HaloClinic is an entirely separate study.
How many sessions do you recommend?
According to our treatment guide: 2–3× per week, approx. 15–20 sessions. Afterwards: Evaluate and continue if needed.
Is the salt room relaxing as well?
Yes. Many clients describe the hour as a restorative break. Read their experiences.
Is my first session free?
Yes. Your first session is completely free and without obligation.
Long COVID has already taken enough of your time.
When talking, walking, working, or basic everyday tasks demand more energy than before, simply waiting it out is not an active recovery strategy.
Start with something fundamental: breathing freely. 60 minutes of professional dry salt inhalation. First session €0.