Yoga

[Hello Darling 0]

I'm thinking about trying some yoga for the first time in a long time. I was wondering if any of you find this to be a good form of exercise and if so, is there a certain type or poses that you found easiest to do in the beginning? I can't do much right now but I thought if I start trying, I will hopefully be able to progress over time. 

[shathaway0811 0]

Hi! I've recently been starting yoga. It's great exercise, for sure, but it was a little triggering for my POTS symptoms due to all of the changes in position in a class setting (the instructor guides you through series of poses). I would mention it to your instructor before hand if you have any restrictions and they can give alternate pose options, usually. 

Hope that helps some!

Sarah

[Hello Darling 0]

Well, I won't be going to a yoga class. I have 4 kids and more bad days than good right now so actually going to a class is not really a possibility right now. I was going to do some yoga here at home by watching a video or something.

I have done some yoga before but it was really triggering for me too. That was before I knew what POTS and IST were. I just thought I was REALLY out of shape and sick a lot.  Now that I now what's going on, I am thinking that maybe I can find a way to do some yoga in a way that may not be totally triggering. 

 

[yogini 0]

I do a lot of yoga.  It's been a lifesaver for me. There are a lot of gentle exercises which you can do sitting or lying down.  I started with a video and just did a few minutes at first, skipping anything that was too hard or that triggered my symptoms.  Now I can do advanced classes at a yoga studio and my POTS is much better!

[Rose11 0]

I thought I saw some examples of exercises on Dysautonomia international website under patient tab then under exercise.  They were YouTube videos.   I wonder if you do a search directly on YouTube for Dysautonomia or POTs yoga, you might find something.   It's good to start very slowly with any exercise, including yoga?

[toomanyproblems 0]

Restorative yoga is really good for POTS.A favorite of mine.

 

[Amalia01 0]

Looks like a nice session for pots patients.

[Hello Darling 0]

Thank you so much! I'll try that out today.

[TCP 0]

Restorative yoga is best. If you have EDS, it's best not to do too many stretching exercises as that can over-stretch tendons. 

[yogini 0]

It really depends on the person - and a doctor should advise.   "Restorative yoga" is usually when you set up with pillows which hold you in the pose.  There isn't movement movement.  You'll get the most out of yoga if you are able to be more active  There are a lot of seated and reclining poses in regular yoga, so it can be very gentle even if not restorative.

[MarkA 0]

I have done Yoga for many years and it is essential to me because my muscles never relax and are always tense. A lot of good points have been brought up here. Any good instructor will encourage you to adapt your practice to what your body can do or not do. Forward Folds are rough on me so after 3 in a row I opt out. The constant shifting up and down can be triggers so learn to adapt and stay down or up and skip movements as needed. Another great alternative to Yoga is Tai-Chi. Amazon Prime has a lot of great video's on both.