Exercise

[yuliya]

My doctor has suggested exercise to help with my symptoms but I am unable to do much because of the fatigue and dizziness. What are you able to do for exercise?

[TXPOTS]

I could hardly stand during my worst day with POTS.

Now I can exercise a good deal more than an average person. It has not by any means cured my POTS, but has significantly improved my symptoms. I started on a recumbent bike and progressed to weights and upright exercise. Today I can jog 8 miles. I would start with very small goals.

[mwise]

I started with isometric excercises (gotten from a physical therapist who works with a Chiropractor) sitting on a chair or floor and/or lying on the bed or floor. I was doing 1 or 2 to now doing sets of 5-10 (8 different excercises). I slowly progressed to walking with a Rollator Walker (has a seat on it) wearing a Pedometer to measure how many miles I was walking. My walking does include going up & down steps/stairs, which I was only doing 1-2 steps. I am now walking without the walker and am up to 2 miles in the house including going up & down 12 steps which includes a landing(break) than another 5 steps. It has taken me over a month to accomplish this fete. The days I few more fatigued, weak and symptomatic, I do less such as only isometric excercises . I take frequent rest periods in-between. If anything, it makes me feel better not only physically, but emotionally knowing I am getting some quality of life back (independence). I would recommend checking with your physician for an excercise plan/program. He/she may make want to make a referral for a physical therapist to work with you on a plan/program specific to you. Hope this helps.

[roxie]

It's important to do the right type & that can be very hard to find. I found a program used for CFS created by dr staci stevens. We talked about it a few months ago here but this is what i copied & am building up to.

OK, I finally found my exercise information. Here it is summarized: 

**All of these are to be done lying down.** Use heart rate monitor while exercising so that you will not exceed your personal limit.

First and foremost work on focused breathing. These breaths should be taken slowly and deeply. Put a box of tissues on the stomach if you are not sure you are doing it right. The box should rise on inhalation and fall on exhalation. Inhale 3 sec. exhale 3 sec. Do this before you start exercises and 10x between exercises. [breathing helps oxygenate the blood & facilitates recovery from each exercise.]

Next, work on TVA (transverse abdominal) These muscles are at your body’s very core. Start by making a Haaaaa sound when you exhale (as if you were fogging up a mirror). Do this to a count of 3 then release

Start off doing 1 set of 4 reps to ensure no payback

~Toe points: Point toes then bring foot back towards leg as much as comfortably possible 

~Contract thigh muscles (quadriceps) for count of 3- release

~Contract gluteus muscles for count of 3- release

~Contract biceps by bringing fist up to shoulder then back down to hips

~Overhead press: start fist by the shoulder, rotate fist outward, extending

arms then back down to shoulder

Once you are sure there was no payback, increase reps, then when ready increase sets ex: 2x/day then 3x/day. After you have increased to 10 reps 3x/day then you can add therabands to toe points, leg extensions (leg up in air, knee bent back toward face, push out to create a diagonal), bicep curls, overhead press. These are color coded according to the amt. of resistance. Purchase at sporting goods store or online.

This next bit is not for everyone. It is very expensive. It is called the Pilates Reformer. If it is possible for you to use this machine the benefit would be great to those with POTS & ME/CFIDS. This machine works perfectly with this illness because most things can be done lying down which keeps the pulse lower. You can actually “walk” while lying down if it has a rebounder on it (mini trampoline). Many exercises are done with your legs in the air which helps the pulse rate to stay down even more so! It is almost as if it were designed for this illness.

[yuliya]

Wow, 8 miles, thats amazing. I can't walk around for longer then 10 min. without getting dizzy. thats wonderful!

Edited February 12, 2011 by MightyMouse
removed quotes--please use the "add reply" button at end of page and not the "reply" button in the body of the post--see helpful hints from Sunfish on main page for more info

[yuliya]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[TXPOTS]

Thanks yuliya,

If it makes you feel better, I can't walk around for 10 minutes without getting dizzy, blurred vision, and pain in my neck and shoulders. All of this goes away when I start exercising. My doctors say the increased cardiac output and use of the skeletal muscle pump during exercise work to pump blood back up to the brain once you are conditioned. I know we're all different though and some patients are unable to exercise or have a tougher go at at it.

[Lovebug]

My doctor recommended that I start on the treadmill for 5 minutes and then gradually increase as I tolerate it. He also made it a point to say I don't need to be walking briskly during this 5 minutes...just a slow walk until I can gradually increase. However, I don't always get orthostatic symptoms so I'm able to tolerate being upright a majority of the time. If you can't, try starting out on the recumbent bike (5 minutes at a time). I really like the exercise posted by bananas. I might even try that regimen.

Exercise is one of the most difficult things for me b/c I was very active prior to being ill. I was always a runner and pushed myself when exercising. I find it almost pointless to get on a treadmill and walk slowly for 5 minutes & not push myself! BUT, this is something that my body needs so that is motivation. I wish you much success with what you choose and please let us know how you do.

[yogini]

When I first started exercising, I walked in the hallway for a couple of minutes. Also stretching or any kind of exercise you can do lying or sitting works well.

[Elfie]

First, I will answer the OP's question so not to threadjack.

I started exercising in September by slowly swimming laps in the pool. Just one length of the pool would increase my heart rate pretty dramatically, and leave me a little breathless. As long as I stopped between each length (and later as I progressed between several lengths and then several laps) to let my heart rate get back to "normal" I didn't experience dizziness since I was essentially laying down. Only when I really pushed it did I ever deal with dizziness in the pool. After having done that for 5 months I had built up to being able to swim 100 to 150 meters (4-6 lengths) at a time without stopping. From there I started doing cardio on a bike at a moderate hr (for me) until I got dizzy from doing it. At first it was at 12 minutes, but I progressed fairly quickly to 15 and then 20. I also started lifting light weights while sitting or laying down and working on my core strength laying down. Right now I am still doing the biking and weights, but I am starting to be able to do more upright exercise (like a few minutes on the treadmill) without dizziness. I know for me that I have found (now that I am in a bit better shape) that if I am able to maintain a fairly brisk pace (walking or hiking) I can go much farther without symptoms. Walking at an everyday pace or having to carry something (backpack, grocery sack) or having to stop momentarily or slow down is still killer. My 5-10 minute walk to class with a couple of books through a parking lot can kill me, but 10 minutes at a faster continuous pace on a treadmill is so much easier to take. I am still at the begging stages though.

TXPots-- I have so many questions for you . . . I was just so overjoyed to read this thread and find out that there were other people out there that can do significantly more exercise than they can deal with standing. Is it alright if I start a new thread to ask you some questions or PM you? I would really like to know more about your experiences.

[TXPOTS]

Elfie,

Your progress seems in line with mine. I especially understand being able to go further with less symptoms if I keep a brisk pace. I can jog until the cows come home, but I have difficulty slowly walking around. On one hand, it is very frustrating to still have POTS, but on a positive note, I am overjoyed that I can exercise. During some very dark days, I thought I would never be able to jog again. Boy, was I wrong. I am happy to smash the stereotype that all POTS patients are "deconditioned". I will be running my first 10K and then half marathon this year. I find that if I try to keep moving throughout the day that I feel better. Feel free to PM me.

[roxie]

Wow, it sounds like you are making good progress exercising Elfie. I am soooo slow at it but don't give up!

Does exercising help you in doing other things? Like with cognitive function or fatigue?

[Elfie]

Ihatebananas-- That has been the most frustrating part of exercise for me. I really enjoy exercising and being active, and I was really active before I got POTS even through the first year-and-a-half of symptoms-- which is why I hate the deconditioning theory. When I first got sick with POTS I had just left a job where I ran chainsaws and edgers all day and spent a lot of time under a tractor changing parts out and wrenching on things. I could bench press my body weight and was rock-climbing for an hour three times a week. Then I spent 6 months where I was sparring with a army reservist for a couple hours a week and was walking several miles a day. Deconditioning has nothing to do with it in my case. I do tend to feel really good during and directly after exercise if I don't overdo it (clear head, reduced brainfog). Unfortunately for me, the effects don't last and I tend to get a slump a couple of hours after exercising where the fatigue really kicks in. I have seen a slight decrease in heart rate (about 10-15 bpm) but haven't had less dizziness or brain fog in the rest of my life.

TXPots-- Thanks for replying, I will PM you.