What Exercises Work For You?

[mama_destiny]

I really want to exercise, but I (of course) don't want to overdo it, only to feel worse the rest of the day. What kind of exercises do you do that you find help? Do you do them daily, even on your worst days? I feel like the least I do in general, the worse I feel, so I would like to add some exercise to my day(although I do chase around 4 kids as much as I can throughout the day, lol!). I tried to do the "30 Day Shred" by Jillian Michaels, for a few days a few months ago, and by the end after pushing myself, I thought I was going to have a heart attack, seriously. It was just too much!

[tachyfor50years]

once in a while, like once a month! I would have some energy and strength to walk for 10 minutes, that is all, because beside my Dysautonomia symptoms, I have other health issues which make it not hard but impposible to do exersices, like bone spurs and rheumatoid arthritis.

[Mytwogirlsrox]

I'm not overly affected by pots, but I did have a hard time getting into an exercise routine ( I just started a bout a month ago, so I'm no expert) but the elliptical is where I started. Just 10 mins ... It got my HR going good lol. Now I'm up to 45 mins with 20 mins of warm up and cooling off on the treadmill. I think it's really important for my heart to warm up.. I walk at like 1.0 mph and gradually increase to whenever my heart rate reaches 120 over a 10-20 min period. For some reason my exercise goes better than if I just hop on and go at it. Anyway, just over one month and Im getting a lot better at exercise... My HR doesn't get up so high so fast anymore, and it doesn't take forever to slow back down. I have noticed that my POTS is more exaggerated after exercise though.. Usually it's 25-30bpm increase upon standing, but after exercise it's more like 40-50bpm

Anyway, I'm glad your trying to exercise! It's good for anyone's mental health too

[mwise]

I know alot of persons here use a recumbant bike and have done exercise programs. When I am able to stand-I wear a pedimeter and take short walks every few hours to keep me moving. I also do isometrics when I am sitting down even at my desk at work. I do everything low impact. I am trying to keep from getting too deconditioned and like many here push myself even when I am symptomatic. I would gage it on how you are feeling. Good luck.

[kjmom]

Swimming is the only exercise my daughter does. When she's in the pool, she feels like her old self again. The buoyancy counteracts gravity and blood pooling as well as regulating her temp. It was one of the things that helped us diagnose her with POTS!

[roxie]

I started out kicking my legs in the bathtub for 5 minutes. Over a few months I built of to 2 sets of 5 mins.

Then I started transitioning to a recumbent bike! I just reached 10 mins a day in the past week!!!

I also do some very light, pilates-like strength work 3 x's a week.

Almost any exercise will make you feel worse in the beginning, unfortunately. It's important to start out at low and light level and gradually increase it as your body allows. Keep at

It

[Katybug]

I started using an ab workout tape called "Crunchless Abs" this past week. http://www.amazon.com/Crunchless-Abs-DVD/dp/B002DDUVTW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1338165376&sr=8-5 It has 3 ab workouts that are 10 mins. each that are meant to strengthen your core and incorporate a little yoga. I have a really hard time doing crunches because I have 2 old back injuries that I always aggravate with crunches. I also figured I could hang in there for 10 mins. at a time. They have worked well and because there is 3, I have rotated every day so I don't get bored . I have quite a bit of abdominal pooling and I was surprised to find that that has been much better since I have been doing one of these workouts each day. If I need a break I just go into the yoga "child's pose" for a few seconds and then resume. Most of these 3 workouts are on the floor but there is some standing but not a lot. I have been pleasantly suprised to find that I feel like I have had a work out but have that good energy/more energy feeling after these workouts instead of feeling fatigued like I do after walking the dog for 20 mins. (which I still do but it puts me down for at least an hour after.)

[freelemons]

Yoga! Like any form of exercise, it's so important to know your body and what you can and can't do. And there are different levels of intensity so as you feel better you can burn hundreds of calories an hour, and on off days you can do something much gentler.

For a while I was so low on energy and so deep into my "reserves" of adrenaline that my doctor suggested I not do any exercise that gets my heart rate above 120. When you zoom up to 140 going up one flight of stairs this can be tricky! I did some very basic yoga and focused a lot on my form rather than on cardio.

I also recommend yoga because it teaches us to breathe better, which helps to control the effects of surges and gets more oxygen into our blood. I also have fibromyalgia and it improved my pain levels significantly.

If you're considering this, I urge you not to just get a DVD at home but try going to a class and speaking to the teacher beforehand about the challenges you face. A teacher worth their salt will not only listen, but help you figure out what you should and should not try. A private lesson is even better but of course that can be $$$.

For better or worse, I went through a stubborn phase in which I was determined to get in better shape regardless of how I felt. I probably overdid it with a number of yoga classes before I wised up enough to know what I can and cannot (or should not) do. I ended up doing a teacher training--even though I knew I wouldn't be able to teach, it gave me the knowledge base to have a good and safe practice at home and I had the amazing opportunity to educate some other wannabe teachers about the challenges we face.

[Mytwogirlsrox]

Freelemons- I find it tricky to change positions in yoga with out getting foggy/ greyed out vision. Like going from downward facing dog to an up right position. Or keeping my hands above my heart.. Did you experience this? I wonder if I chug through it , it will get better? I'm nervous that I will pass out in class lol

[CarrieJessica]

I have a hard time with standing exercises, i used to LOVE yoga but the bending doesn't work for me right now. I have a stationary recumbent bike and try and do 4 miles even if I don't feel well. Sometimes its and easy 4 miles and takes me awhile, other times I power through and consider it a real work out, sometimes I go a full hour. I also write the ABCs with each leg while sitting down, sounds corny until you try and do it! I do light weighted arm and shoulder either during my bike time or separate. For me I had to let go of a goal routine and instead have a goal of doing some each day. Sometimes I feel fit and am impressed, other times I am pedaling forward and that just has to be enough.

I also have 4 kids and find I can do the stationary bike while they color or watch a show, or after they go to bed. Its hard to balance 4 kids and working out for any mom, let alone a mom with a chronic illness.

[CarrieJessica]

BTW on good days I can crank out 6 miles before I start to feel over exerted! I LOVE those days!

[freelemons]

I've had that too, mytwogirlsrox. I used to find that my arms would fall asleep if I held them above my head for a few breaths, and a lot of the flow yoga made me lightheaded with the swooping up and down. In my own practice I do much less swooping (not the technical term but I mean the moving from standing up to a forward fold) unless my symptoms are really minor that day. I tend to block my poses by where my head is relative to my heart, and on bad days I don't do much standing work.

When I have tons of energy and time (...) i'd really like to try to tailor a yoga routine for us potsies.

Also worth looking into pilates - a lot of it is done lying down and it's great for core muscle tone.

One more thing - focus on form over "powering through" dvd workouts or whatever else for everyone, but especially us. Pushing your body too hard without control is like driving on the median - you might get where you want to go faster, but your car is gonna be in rough shape by the time you're done. Better to drive at a fast but controllable speed and get there in one piece. Physical stress translates into nervous system meltdown, and until you're so in tune with your body to know what it is and isn't capable of, better to do things deliberately and carefully. And carriejessica is right - better to have a goal of doing something than a goal routine.

[Mytwogirlsrox]

Thanks free lemons..

[picaresque]

I'm not currently doing exercise every day, but the best for me, even when feeling symptomatic, is swimming. I also like yoga, but I have had near-syncope changing positions at least once. So, I stay away from that when I'm very symptomatic, but can tolerate it with mild symptoms. I have an AM/PM yoga DVD that and I find that the PM is just the right intensity for symptomatic days, when I'm too tired to go to a class. When I'm feeling very well, I love to use the stationary bike at the gym. I've never been able to stand very long on the upright machines like the elliptical or stairs, but I have good stamina with swimming, yoga, and the stationary bike. I also do crunches/sit-ups and push-ups that, along with cutting out caffeine, have helped somewhat to lessen muscle twitches and tremulousness. I also try to walk a LOT, even on my worse days. I think it's a real balancing act, figuring out what works for oneself. And, for me, not focusing so much on what I can't do and just trying to do something, anything.

[AllAboutPeace]

I started out kicking my legs in the bathtub for 5 minutes. Over a few months I built of to 2 sets of 5 mins.

Then I started transitioning to a recumbent bike! I just reached 10 mins a day in the past week!!!

I also do some very light, pilates-like strength work 3 x's a week.

Almost any exercise will make you feel worse in the beginning, unfortunately. It's important to start out at low and light level and gradually increase it as your body allows. Keep at

It

Bananas...that's great !!! 10 mins on the recumbant bike...I know you worked hard to get there. Good for you Are you noticing a difference in your energy levels?