Exercising with POTS

Through my research on POTS I found that exercise is one of the most important therapies. My doctor repeatedly tells me to keep working out because that is the only way to get better. BUT how do you work out when you have exercise intolerance, are extremely fatigue, and get dizzy upon standing? You take baby steps, and you push through!

            When I was first told that I had to exercise to get better, I thought my doctor was joking. I had felt terrible just walking across a room, never mind riding a recumbent bike for 10 minutes. I knew if I wanted to have control over my body again, I was going to have to go slow and continue to push myself no matter how hard it is. Being on a college campus was a great start because I need to walk to get places. When my symptoms began I had trouble getting to my room, which was on the fourth floor of an elevator-less building, I had trouble going to class, which was across campus, and I also had trouble walking to the bathroom down the hall. By forcing myself to do these few things I prevented permanent nerve damage and was already on the road to recovery. It is easy to just stay in bed and sleep all day, especially when you feel terrible and feel like you're about to pass out, but the only way to get better is to take that first step and start living your life again. You can’t let the disorder consume you.

            Going into college, being the control freak I am, I had a plan on what activities I was going to join, a plan of all the classes I needed to take and when, and an outline on what I needed to do to get into medical school. But then I became sick. During my first semester of college, I was the sick girl who refused to back down. I was constantly being called stubborn because I would go to class even though I could barely stand up. I would continue doing my practical for Biology lab even though my head was spinning and my vision was going black, and I would take those few extra steps before sitting even though my heart was racing and my feet were swollen with blood. I refused to let POTS control my life. I am a stubborn person and I thank God that he made me this way because without my determination and drive I would have given up and quit school. My grades weren’t up to my standards my first and second semester of college, but I am willing to sacrifice my grades for my health. In December when I finally was properly diagnosed, my neurologist told me the best thing I did was continue going to school. By being stubborn and pushing myself, I was already on the road to recovery.

            Continuing school was the first step, and as it got easier to move around and get to class I had to keep pushing myself and create more resistance. The next step was to try exercising again. Before college and POTS, I had worked out with my trainer Mark and did crazy things from jumping on a large tire, to flipping that said tire, to doing ab exercises till it hurt to breathe. I enjoyed working out and when I got sick I never thought I would be able to do it again. When my doctor suggested using a recumbent bike and to start out slow I was apprehensive. I was still having trouble getting up stairs, and I still do. I was nervous that getting on the bike would make me pass out more regularly again. I would go to Fordham’s gym with my friend Camille and try the recumbent bike for a few minutes, but I wasn’t doing it regularly to actually have a beneficial impact. As freshman year came to an end, I was getting antsy to be able to do normal things again and I knew the only way I would be able to live a normal life is if I continued to push myself and start exercising.
            Summer 2015 I began to do the bike more regularly and slowly build up stamina. At first it was hard and tiring, and I hated it. By working out I was just making my fatigue so much worse, but I knew it would pay off in the end. I also decided to start working out with Mark again. Rather than flipping large tires like we used to, Mark created a POTS friendly work out for me. We experimented with different exercises and modified them to have me either lying down or sitting to keep my blood pressure and heart rate stable. We continue to experiment with different routines to find new ways to stay active. As time went on we increased reps, increased weight, and started adding new machines into the routine. Some exercises I started out with were curls (sitting down), abductor and adductor machines, laterals (sitting down), and seated rows. Everything was modified to prevent symptoms, but to get the job done. As time went on everything got a little easier for me. I started doing a little more, and now I am able to stand for longer periods of time, I can walk at a normal pace again, and when I stand up I don’t get as dizzy. By working out I am making my symptoms less noticeable and slowly getting better. Stairs are still a struggle through…