How to beat exercise intolerance?

[TCP]

I have to do small tasks in bite-sized sessions and rest frequently. I'm a mess otherwise so have to be very careful. 

With actual exercise it's a slow build-up. The body can't take too much to begin with and over many months or even years to get the autonomic nervous system balanced again. Having said that it can vary so much from person to person. If mast cells are involved then exertion will make the body produce more histamine. 

[Rosalia]

I found some floor exercises on youtube by looking up Pots workouts. It’s basically low impact Pilates. 

[Mainer]

Has anyone had any luck with  adding lots of potassium, salt or electrolytes or drinking tons of water before AND after working out? Maybe the body is reacting after a workout due to a loss of water, and we already have low blood volume. If you can keep up with the exertion and do well for a few hours or a day but then the body just collapses, it might be because your body has lost so much water and salt because of the new workout. So many loading up on bananas, water, electrolyte drinks, oats, and sleep might help keep your body afloat while it recovers from the workout. 

I have had success with hatha yoga, especially in a room that is not overly heated. Forget sun salutations, though, those get me feeling woozy. Sometimes, I do the whole thing while keeping my hands on my hips instead of extending my arms so that the blood does not have to be pumped against gravity. 

Also, I wonder how diet affects your energy levels? Does anyone have a diet that does not tax the body with digesting heavy meals? Like, instead of heavy meals, trying 6 snacks a day or going vegetarian/vegan? 

 

[statesof]

I don't know if this is common or not, but I pretty much can't do any distance of walking at all, however I found that I can physical stuff I typically cannot do if I get my blood pressure up enough.

So for example if you asked me to walk 50 feet slowly I would almost immediately become symptomatic after the first 10-12 steps, but if you put me on a stationary bike I can go for miles and not feel as bad afterwards, but I have to pedal the whole time without stopping and I need to keep my bp up enough but not go too high.

[BuffRockChick]

Hi @Mainer  

re: diet,  very low carb, like ketogenic diet eliminates my fatigue and low blood pressure after eating.  Fasting helps me too.  I feel best 6 - 20 hours after eating. 

I am finding that drinking to thirst only has been helping me more than pushing salt and fluids.  But it's winter still here, and I don't sweat when I workout, so YMMV, and I might change my tune in summer. 

I've gone from bedrest/disabled to fairly functional.  The best exercise for me was simply standing up.  (I'm not a fainter.)  Last week was my son's spring break.  He has a lot of behavior problems and has to be supervised constantly, so I spent a lot of time sitting and watching him.  He's back in school today and I'm shocked how much functioning I lost from one week of sitting a lot!  You don't have to "workout" or sweat to fight POTS.  Just keep moving!

[Pistol]

I am just like you, @TCP: little of doing then a little of rest. Spring cleaning will take me right through the summer - haha! But I try to squeeze in several exercises every day, no matter what: some core exercises while lying down, hamstring stretches while lying down, back stretches and light weights while sitting for joints and strength in the arms. Last year I had home physical therapy and they taught me these exercises, they really help a lot! There are standing ones too but I don't do good with them since they take all my energy and then I can't do chores. But these exercises actually are not draining at all and I feel much better than when I was just a lazy blob.... so, I believe that the RIGHT exercise is how you beat exercise intolerance ( who would have thunk it! )

[Debbie Rose]

I started out with recumbent biking with a simple peddler and did well. Then in January I started walking with my neighbor. She has a bad back so we both go slow. Over 8-10 weeks or so we were walking for 50 to 60 minutes-thru the neighborhood and averaged around 2.5-2.8 miles in that time. I finally started feeling good about walking and even looking forward to it.  Then I started to have foot pain on the outer aspect. I rested for a week but still had pain. So I went to an orthopedic clinic and they "thought" they saw a stress fracture at the end (near the arch) of one of the foot bones. SO I am in a boot for 2 weeks. GRRrrrr. But I too had extreme fatigue once I sat down after my walks and it was completely debilitating for hours. But I made an effort by afternoon to try and do a few small chores and did manage it. Hopefully, once I can walk again, I will try to go more slowly with my progression and see if I can stop the developing fatigue. By the bye-I had bone density test and found to have both osteopenia and osteoporosis-oh yeah

[Lily]

Slow walking, as in average person speed at the mall, will generate symptoms.  Fast walking, however, is totally fine.  Or running.  I suppose the slow speed isn't enough to keep blood flowing and not pooling in my feet.