Treatment (part two): Exercise
It seems quite hypocritical to tell someone who is basically allergic to gravity that exercise is the way to help them feel better. Exercise can be very daunting to someone who struggles to walk to the bathroom or down the stairs. However, exercise is one of the only things that is proven to help POTs patients feel better. This can be tricky because exercise is a double edged sword for someone with POTs. On one hand, it can help improve symptoms and increase orthostatic tolerance. On the other hand, if you push your body too much it can actually make you feel worse or regress your progress. Baby steps and listening to your body is crucial when using exercise to help treat POTs symptoms. When I began my journey, I was crawling to the bathroom from my bedroom and had major trouble tolerating any standing or walking. The first few months, I did all horizontal exercising. Any low intensity movement that can be done laying down was where I started. One I began to tolerate more and more upri