For those who can exercise...

[Deb M.]

Hi!

I've been trying to exercise lately, such as short bursts of aerobics, walking fast, etc. However, when I do light aerobics, I feel so sick for the rest of the day. I feel as if I have the flu and my chest feels horrible! Strange chest pains, my heart feels just weird at times, dizziness, and I just want to lay in bed and sleep!

I tried telling my doctor this and she just kept saying that I need to exercise more and make sure I'm sweating when I do so... But I feel horrible after I sweat with exercise!!! She just didn't get it... I feel so sick when my heart rate goes up!

Does this happen to you guys? I don't think it's because I've been so out of shape. This is very different. It's like when my heart rate goes up for any reason, my body rebels...

Thanks,

Deb M.

[hopeful-girl]

OK Now wow, wow, wow. So may great topics today I am relating to all of them LOL

Yes me too. And because i have gastro paresis I always vomit wither during or after excersize or both. Excersize makes me feel like crap. All my friends feel energized and pumped and I feel weak and very ill. But i figure better to excersixe and be sick then lay around and be sick. but I only excersize on my ok days. I never have good days anymore Ijust have ok days and that is when I push my self. But I do know in the long run of things. It is better to excersize than not at all even thought it makes me sick.

Cheers

Corian (hopeful-girl)

[michiganjan]

Yes, exercise makes me feel sick. Can you do lighter exercise? Such as walking at a slow pace for a short time? Or how about a recumbant exercise bike? I an do light weights much better than I can do areobics.

Does your doctor know exactly what your pulse is doing during the exercise? Have you had a holter monitor? You can get a pulserate monitor at an exercise store and learn how fast your heart beats while you work out. But it won't show the rhythm like a holter monitor will.

I think you have to stress to the doc exactly what is going on and perhaps change the intensity of the execise. and make sure she knows what your heart rates are while you are exercising.

[Jenn202]

I have found strength training to be the best excersise for me...

I have a total Gym and It is the best piece of equipment I have ever bought..... I like it b.c you can lay on an incline for many of the excersises, It functions as a pilates performer, plain strength endurance, and aerobic as well.

I have learned to listen to my body and adjust my excersise to my day... SOme days I do 40 minutes nonstop, others I only do 15 minutes or so.... then there are days I split it up throughout the day......

The one thing I cannot do is heavy duty cardio stuff.....

and I know that many Dr's do not get the fact that this kind of excersiseisnt always good for us.

Anyway hope you can find a good balance!

[futurehope]

Deb,

It sounds to me like this doctor does not understand POTS very well.

That being said, you will have to determine what it is you are capable of doing.

I suggest doing some stretches and possibly light weights on the floor.

I also suggest that you go easy on any aerobics exercise you do since you do not know how high your heartrate goes (if you are not wearing a HR monitor). That may mean only a very short walk to begin with. Consult again with the doctor.

Is this doctor familiar with POTS or NCS? My neurologist suggested that I do not exercise to the point of making my self sick.

[Traci]

Presently, all I can do for exercise is walk, although for short periods.

Any other type of exercise, causes pain for me.

I know where your coming from when it comes to the Doctors. I don't think some of them understand how difficult it can be at times.

Traci

[morgan617]

Every time I try to exercise, I get paralysis episodes. I think it's what started them. I was going 2 miles twice a day, and not very fast. I am so exercise intolerant , it's beyond belief, but that's the way it goes I guess. morgan

[MightyMouse]

I have always felt awful the first few minutes of exercise, and then again in the hours that follow...and if I really overdo it, I'll be sick for days. The way I've worked up to where I'm at now is as others have described: light exercise to start, and slowly building up. Even so, I always feel flu-ish afterward. I had PT this afternoon and I feel really sick right now--nauseated and sore. Somehow, I still manage to do it again next time--but it does help to work out with the PT with coaching me, and/or work out with a friend or spouse. I really need the social piece to help me get past the physical discomfort. I've also found that mornings are my toughest time to try to get moving and I don't usually try to work out before noon.

I have a Pilates performer, and like the total gym mentioned above, is great for working out on the floor. I got mine used--and I don't regret it. I also have the recumbent bike for when walking outside isn't an option.

Nina

[Deb M.]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

The only thing I feel ok doing is swimming...which doesn't make sense to me cause I'm getting my heart rate up pretty high doing that! My whole body is exhausted after that, but I'm not as sick.

The problem is that my doc insists that in order for me to lose the weight I've gained since I've been sick, I need to get my heart rate up at least 4 days a week! I can barely handle 1 day! ugh. And I'm too tired from work to go swim 4 days a week...

Sorry to complain...

Deb M.

[futurehope]

Can somebody in the know post a link to the "total body" machine you're all referring to? I'm interested.

Thanks.

[MightyMouse]

This is the total gym:

http://www.totalgymdirect.com/index.php

and this is close to the one I have (mine is called a "performer"):

http://www.totalgymdirect.com/index.php

Nina

[blackbirdsings]

Deb, I would look into getting your heart checked, since you mentioned heart pains. Even if it means getting another opinion. Have you had an exercise stress test? Where you have all the heart monitors on, etc. and you run while they monitor your heart? It's a good test for athletes to go through, because there are heart things that can be picked up here and not in other ways. POTS itself isn't really chest pains, so I would get it checked to be sure, because you should be able to exercise without that happening. I have POTS and can exercise at a very high level without trouble, my only trouble is stopping...if I go and stop and stand still, I black out.

If you do well swimming, just go swimming several days a week or see about a water strengthening/aerobics class to make it more interesting. Or go work with a personal trainer for those four days, so you are supervised/monitored and have a specific program, that changes depending on how you are doing. Also, if they want you to loose weight, see what changes you can make with your diet. Sometimes just keeping a log, adding more water, cutting back of some foods, adding in more veggies can make all the difference.

Good luck!!!

[StandUpSitDown]

Well, I am just trying to get into the swing of things with exercise. I am now walking on a treadmill for 2 45-minute sessions a day. The walk is normal walking pace, as if you were walking down a sidewalk in no particular hurry.

That is a big thing for me, when 4 weeks ago, the challenge for me was sitting in a chair for more than an hour without lying down.

I've made that exercise the center of my existence. I've had to. I can't stop, even if I get in pain. The exercise is the only thing that gives me the overall stamina to be semi normal at home.

[Evie]

My specialist told me that swimming and yoga are the best exercise for me and not to push it too much or i will just collapse (if i exercise i usually end up fainting)

I have been pretty naughty and have not done as much exercise as i should... i do walk alot though. Unfortunately i cant swim in public pools as chlorine makes me feel really ill or triggers asthma. However i think it is less stressful on your body so maybe thats why you can cope better with swimming

Can you control your weight through food? (sorry im not trying to suggest you eat too much ... its just thats how i try to maintain weight as i cannot exercise it off like most can).

I hope you manage to find some balance ... its hard for everyone when they are unfit ... but its even harder for us when our body wants to conk out doing every day activities let alone a work out.

Oh and just a question for those who use tred mills ... do any of you suffer dizzyness from them? if so how do you combat it?

I have a gym downstairs and it has all these super machines yet i get really dizzy from using them.. i think its more to do with balance than body stress though..

[persephone]

I get chest pain and the shakes if I do too much. I haven't been able to find time to go to a gym here since I arrived--I must sort that out, I'm sure it would help my adrenalin levels! and not to mention, the overwhelming desire to punch many, many people in the face!

[yogini]

I can't push myself, b/c I have gotten very sick from exercising too much. I get headaches and nausea right after, and sometimes I don't feel the same for a few days or weeks. I found that the best thing for me was to start really slowly and to exercise lying down or sitting. POTS makes my heart beat too fast standing up, and it just gets worse with w/ exercise! I like pilates, yoga and riding the bike. I still get very dizzy sometimes riding the bike. I just started swimming and I have been able to swim for a while without feeling dizzy. So my exercise problem is totally postural. Someday I hope to graduate to the treadmill and then get back to the elliptical machine.

When I started exercising after getting POTS I could barely exercise for 2 minutes, but I have slowly been able to increase my time. I was up to 30 minutes and had a relapse and had to start back at 2 min. Exercise has helped my POTS symptoms a lot, I think. Hope you find something that works for you...

-Rita

[OCsunshine]

Exercise is definitely a challenge. I have found out (the hard way) that if I do an aerobic workout that gets my heart rate up, it's like my heart doesn't re-set itself or something. I just get very, very sick from exercising.

But it also depends on my general well-being. I can do NO exercise when I'm in a crash. If I'm feeling so-so, sometimes I can get away with pilates (that's very low paced and it allows me to lay horizontally while doing the movements), and when I am doing very well I have found success with a water aerobics class. I'm not sure how my body allows me to do water aerobics, it's the first time (since falling ill 11 years ago) that I have been okay with getting my heart rate up. I guess it's because I'm in a "good" patch now and am feeling "okay" so I can do some workout. In the water I haven't felt light-headed, the water somehow keeps me stabilized and it also causes less pain- no impact b/c my feet don't even touch the pool floor. The water temperature might also help my body temperature to be controlled. I don't recommend it... I'm just saying it's been working for me lately.

If you're getting very very sick doing aerobic exercises for goodness SAKE don't do more! I would definitely take it down a notch. Take slow walks. Don't worry about getting your heart rate up for a technical "aerobic workout" just give your body movement and slowly work up some muscle tone. That's just my two cents... listen to your body for sure.

[Kite#7]

Hello All,

Mighty Mouse , the reason you feel "bad" during the first few minutes of exercise is because your body is going thru what is called the EXERCISE RESPONSE. Our bodies start in O2 defict and try to catch up , thus increase respiration. Basicaly, You are using the stored O2 from your muscles in the form of ATP / GLYCOGEN to intiate the exercise and get the muscles , conective tissue and joints moving/ reacting. It takes approx. 2- 3 minutes to equalise breathing , o2 intake , heart rate to a comfortable level. this is true for all people. It is important to prepare for exercise. You must be sure to Hydrate prior to your workouts. This will help to prevent lightheadness , bloodpressure drops ( inas much as we can) . But hydrate hours before your scheduled workout aswell as during, It is also important to make sure that your diet is in order. Pre training meals are extremely important to haow will feel during and with recovery. As are post training meals. Do not discount Sports drinks. As far as my feelings about TRAINING - That is well documented in past posts. The PILATES REFORMER is a wonderful machine but , extraordinarily expensive .I believe the machine you are refering to is the Total Body machine, My take on this is anything that helps you to perform exercise properly , in a balanced , safe , Inspired way -is worth the investment. As is the hourly rate of a good referenced Personal Trainer.

Kite 7