Finding Exercise Scary

[Freaked]

I've had POTS for about a year now and I'm still very bad. Basically I can't even sit with my feet on the ground in a chair for more than half an hour without getting symptomatic (which for me means pounding heart and sweating at first). But I've also had problems with exertional jaw/chest pain all my life that have been looked into but not explained. And obviously since the POTS started I've had some scary episodes.

I've not had a good time with meds thus far so I'm trying exercise again (lying down or sittting down). But I find that I get so scared that I feel breathless almost before I start. My heartrate obviously climbs very quickly atm and I just find it very uncomfortable; I can't shake the fear that I'm going to give myself a heart attack or at least trigger a scary episode or something.

Anyone have any tips?

[MomWithPots]

Sorry to hear that! I'm scared of exercising too and it ***** because I want to be active! I can't offer much advice, but to stay calm and take small steps. Also look into different types of exercising. I plan on buying one of those exercising bikes and I really want to do water aerobics...for some reason when I get a bad episode, I automatically want to be in water/ bath. Its calming! Worth a try. I also climb stairs instead of the elevator, as the elevator makes me very very symptomatic...that counts right?

Good luck and as always, talk with ur doc about your concerns!

[Chaos]

Have you looked into any of the breathing type exercises, for example those that go along with different types of meditation or yoga or Tai Chi? Maintaining your focus on your breathing while you exercise is really important for exercise safety and if you are doing that, it also helps to keep you from "freaking out" about doing the exercise as well.

If you talk to your doc about this you might ask for a referral to physical therapy as a good therapist should be able to help instruct you in these breathing techniques along with some exercises you could do in bed or a chair to get you started down the path of exercise. Having someone (like a PT) there with you to start might also be helpful and reassuring as well to get you over the anxiety you are experiencing about trying to start some exercise.

Good luck.

[blueskies]

Water is supposed to be a great place to exercise because it has compression qualities. It helps keep the blood pumping around our bodies. Not sure that a bath would be deep enough to have the same but it's a possibility I guess.

If you choose to swim for exercise, just remember that it's advised to have someone watching you when swimming in case you faint or feel weak. Years back there was a good article on this site about compression qualities of water written by a doctor but it seems to be gone now. Perhaps out of date.

I'm still not swimming at the moment but I promise myself nearly every day that I'll try to go soon. However I have to have someone to take me at the moment and that's not possible. I feel at my best when I swim but it's been so long now I've grown unfit again.

blue

[Iheartfrogs217]

Hi Freaked,

I'm so sorry to hear about your fear of exercise. Know your not alone and, it's not easy to overcome, but it can be done! I, too, have a fear of exercise because I'm afraid of having a heart attack or sudden cardiac death, so I completely understand how scary things can get! The good news is, is that this most likely won't happen. Matter of fact, exercise helps POTS symptoms from what I've been told and experienced myself. The two exercises that help me are stationary biking and swimming. Swimming makes me feel great when swimming and when coming out of the pool. Stationary biking makes me feel terrible while riding, but afterward I feel great results!

If you don't mind me asking, do you get heart palpitations or irregular heart rhythms a lot? Because I do and that's why I'm afraid to exercise.

Hang in there and know you're not alone! Talk to you soon!