Yoga

[icthus]

Once I became more housebound, I tried yoga from the internet. Found some appropriate sitting and lying positions that didn't require putting head down or standing-to-sitting movements. In only a week of 15 minutes of yoga, I saw tremendous improvement in posture. But I also became breathless, exhausted, and reactive after the 15-minute stint. Any ideas why this limited version of yoga would cause a dysautonomic flare-up? Any suggestions on how to evaluate yoga positions so those of us who are extremely exercise restricted so we could still do some yoga and gain benefit from it?

[yogini]

You could maybe start really slow and build. Try 5 mins and don't do anything that looks like it might aggravate your symptoms.

I really like the DVD AM/PM Stretch for Health. It has yoga stretches, many of which are seated/lying. Also, you could try restorative yoga - where you use pillows and blankets to support you in the poses.

Feel free to pm me if you have questions about specific exercises.

[flop]

Many of us have "exercise intolerance" where what most people would call gentle exercise causes us to feel fatigued and more symptomatic than usual. Yogini has the right advice - start slowly with a tiny bit of exercise and practice regularly until your body learns to cope with the exertion. When you can do 5 mins without feeling dreadful then increase to a few mins more. Gradually you can re-educate your body to allow you to exercise more. Ok you might not get up to running marathons but being able to do 20 mins exercise several times a week is a good goal and should help you to feel better generally.

Flop (enjoys Tai-Chi when she has the energy!)

[runningshoe]

Yoga has been a big heal part of my conditioning. In the beginning I took it slow. I do not have exercise intolerance, but when pots first started I could get winded and tired just folding the laundry. 3 years later I can do over an hour of vinaysa yoga in a warm room (that was super hard to get used to). I never never never put my hands over my head or stand still in Mountain pose. Standing poses that require me to hold for a long time can be hard but the beauty of yoga is that you are supposed to listen to your body. I don't know your specific situation but I hope you can take your time and continue to practice. The first year I had pots I joined curves and that was a safe place for me to get moving. I don't pass out (high bp) so I may not be typical in my ability to exercise. But I will say this, if it is between cleaning the house and exercising the work out wins. I may have to lie down for a while after but that is okay with me.

[Tifbmel]

I do Yoga for runners. It's a fifteen minute nike workout video. After 4 months I can finally make it through the whole video!! I tried taking classes at our gym but kept fainting...I had no idea at the time I had POTS! I think it helps but I have to move slow when changing positions and eliminate some that I just can't tolerate. I don't become out of breath anymore and no longer get tired from this short yoga workout.

Tif