Exercise Tolerance

[mom4cem]

Hi,

I started again last night with using my 2 mile walk tape. It does pick up in intensity and also with the use of your arms. I did it without problems but after is when I have trouble. I feel naseauous after and tachy in the low 90's sitting but it takes a while to go back down. I can't figure if it is just deconditioning, too intense or what. Was not such a good day to begin with,,little more symptomatic the past few days, that could be another cause for it too.

Does anyone else have trouble with exercising?

[jenwclark]

I'm interested that you felt worse after the exercise than during. That's when it hits me, too, which makes it hard to tell when I'm overdoing it. I don't get the tachy, but I get a slight nauseous headache, and my heart feels like it's working hard, even though it never gets above 75 bpm.

I don't know whether my problem with exercise is POTS or deconditioning. I kind of bounce back and forth on how I deal with it -- one month I'll try to push my limits, and the next month I'll try to listen to my body. It depends partly on how much else I have to do. I can't really tell which works better for me.

Hope it goes more smoothly next time.

spike

[Tessa]

During my exercise stress test, I could not walk fast on the treadmill. The cardiologist tried to make me run and... Not many minutes later, I started looking down, unable to look up. I was trying to concentrate on my legs and feets, who seemed to weight a lot, while I had to be experiencing some brain fog, as I did not notice that I was unable to assimilate what the doctor was saying. Nurse and cardiologist suggested to stop, but I wanted to continue, though it was obvious that it was impossible for me to fulfil the test.

When I sat down, I felt dizzy, exhausted, lightheaded and I was starting to feel some chest pain and lack of breath. I also started hyperventilation...

But I had not stopped the medicines for the exercise stress test, (because they told me not to do so, even though I was sure it would change the results, as I cannot walk if I do not take them).

Of course, it takes hours for me to recover from any kind of exercise. I feel exhausted, dizzy, thirsty, sometimes hungry or with nauseas and cannot concentrate my mind...

The results of the exercise stress test Exercise Intolerant.

[Eillyre]

Mom4cem,

Just wondered how much walking you did (all 2 miles, only part of it, etc.)? Have you been walking that same distance regularly or was this sort of a "start up again" attempt?

My first guess is that the amount of exercise was simply too much for you. You're right to want to do some exercise and it's good that you tried, but if you tried an amount that you can't handle on a regular basis, your body may be communicating to you that it's just too much at this particular point in time. What if you walk for a shorter amount of time? You may have read about the start of my exercise/walking regime -- one lap around the living room each for my daily exercise before working up. At this point I've very gradually worked up to 2 miles each day without a problem, but there's no way that I could have done it at the beginning. Having been a ballet dancer at the start of her professional career in NYC, I had trouble early on in my illness readjusting my personal expectations when it came to the amount of exercise I did, but by starting very small and working up very slowly, I was able to avoid the "crash and burn" cycle & that awful feeling after I had exercised too much.

Another thing you might try is skipping all/most of the arm movement in your walking tape and see if that helps as well. I find that arm or more demanding cardiovascular work tires me out faster than anything else. On days that I do arm weights, I usually reduce the total amount of exercise I do that day to compensate.

Angela

[MomtoGiuliana]

It is definitely important to start slowly and work up slowly to more intense and longer periods of exercise. If I over-do it, or if I am just having a bad day (e.g., in the few days before my period) I can feel bad after exercise, or even during it. For example, a week or so ago I was dancing and running around the house with my daughter for about 20 minutes--she kept asking me to pick her up and twirl her around...I suddenly felt dizzy, shaky and nauseated and had to stop. ugh. Other days I can do that kind of thing and feel ok other than tachycardia. So, I find it is hard to tell if I am over-doing it on a give day, until I do!

Even if it makes me feel badly, my specialist always pushes exercise--whatever I can tolerate.

Katherine

[Tammy]

I have major problems with exercising, typically afterwards also, but also at some point during exercising I'll get very lightheaded feeling and weak, which is usually why I stop and take a recover time before trying to exercise a little more. Sometimes my heart will start to race about 10 minutes after I exercise and will get nauseous and chills, etc. Even though I have severe exercise intolerance, my EP still recommends exercise as I'm able too. Most days though, just running down stairs to do a load a laundry is all the exercise I can tolerate. I think for some reason, exercise releases adrenaline into our systems and our system just doesn't know how to deal with it appropriately.

Hope your feeling better once your well rested again,

Tammy

[Suzanne]

I have trouble exercising. I don't feel it during the exercise, but afterwards. I think the adrenaline pumps and it is easy to overdo it. I agree with the others that starting small and building up slowly is ideal. I do this and still struggle to walk more than 15 minutes, or do more than 10 minutes of weights or pilates. Anything more and I am exhausted all the next day. Important to do something though, otherwise deconditioning becomes an issue. Hang in there!

[bttrflyamby1981]

I too have problems. I gained some extra pounds after having my kids so I was beginning to exercise to lose weight when I realized something was wrong with me. Walking usually isn't too bad, but anything that has me bending over or sitting up repeatedly really sets me off.

I had a stress test, both the treadmill and the medicated. I couldn't complete either one.

[smiles]

I also had problems after exercising. I could not tell till I had already over done it. Then it was too late. prevention has been my best friend concerning exercising. I have to gradually work up to everything I do--much more slowly than the average 'gradual' most people would think of. Good luck with pacing yourself. i have struggled with that for 2 years.