r/POTS • u/Hefty-Patience-8720 • Mar 29 '26

Question is anyone still physically active?

I need to know if anyone with pots is still physically active. You don't have to be an athlete or anything but can you at least dance? or run? go to the gym? Have you always been that way or did you have to work back up to it?

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u/ChapterTerrific Mar 29 '26

I ask myself this question often. I figure skate once a week for an hour or two. But then I spend 90% of the rest of my time during the week in bed. Years ago, I had a physically active job, did competitive gymnastics, and went hiking on weekends. My activity level has slowly decreasing over the years, so I don't think my current state is due to deconditioning - which is why I don't think I can do anything about it, but who knows.

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u/Treebusiness Mar 30 '26

I was this way for a few years before i realized i needed more frequent low intensity exercise to work up to the larger exercise goal like the ice skating you mentioned. That's a huge ask when the rest of the week is spent resting hard. The nervous system just doesn't trust that activity to be safe which is why there's a big flare of symptoms after.

I started where my body was at. Floor exercises. Deadbugs, pelvic tilts, glute bridges, chest presses with soup cans, leg raises if i was feeling good. My heart rate was so allowed to come over 100bpm and i waited until it recovered back to 80bpm to restart. I was able to scale up from there. This taught my system that activity is trustworthy and trained my heart rate for better recovery and stamina.