Doctors frequently recommend exercise for POTS, but I learned pretty quickly that how I exercised mattered just as much as whether I exercised at all.
Exercise felt impossible after POTS
Before POTS, I used to fast walk 30 minutes to work. After POTS, I could barely make it around my block.
The workout I started with wasn’t working
When I was first diagnosed, I tried exercising on a vertical climber because it felt like the right place to start.
Within two minutes, my heart rate would reach 160. I was out of breath, shaking, and miserable.
Finding an exercise plan designed for POTS
After struggling for several weeks, my doctor recommended the Dallas / CHOP Exercise Protocol. It’s a structured, progressive program for people with POTS that starts with recumbent exercise.
The biggest difference wasn’t exercising harder. It was starting with exercise my body could actually tolerate.
Why recumbent exercise made such a difference
Before POTS, I’d never heard of recumbent exercise. Instead of starting with running, climbing, or other upright exercise, the program began with horizontal exercise like recumbent biking and rowing.
What happened over five months
Exhausted after just a few minutes
Slightly more tolerable
Building strength and consistency
Stronger, more energy, fewer symptoms
By the fifth month, I noticed a significant change. My heart palpitations had decreased dramatically, and I felt stronger than I had in years.
By month five, my heart palpitations were roughly 80–90% less noticeable depending on the day.
Keeping exercise part of my routine
Following a months-long exercise program also meant keeping track of where I was in the plan.
That’s why I eventually added the exercise program to POTSie—so I wouldn’t have to keep referring back to PDFs or remember what workout came next.
