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POTS Exercise Coach

So what is the CHOP/Modified Dallas POTS Exercise Program?

Study after study has indicated the benefits of exercise for patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). While for many patients, symptoms like fatigue and tachycardia can make exercise a real challenge, modified exercise programs like that from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) can provide helpful routines to slowly reduce exercise intolerance and increase stamina.

Program Overview

The POTS Exercise Coach, powered by Chronius Health, makes it easy for POTS patients to complete the CHOP Modified Dallas Exercise Program with videos that guide users with countdown timers. While there is a strong evidence base for following the CHOP Modified Dallas Exercise Program or Levine Protocol, it can be complex for patients to follow — as each day of the 8 month program follows a slightly different routine. The POTS Exercise Coach makes it easier to seamlessly follow the program through audio or visual cues. Think of the POTS Exercise Coach as your own personal trainer to complete the CHOP Modified Dallas Exercise Program.

Exercise can be an important part of your treatment plan if you have an autonomic disorder, and can be beneficial on its own or combined with medications and other non-pharmaceutical treatments. What makes this POTS exercise program unique is its focus on the position of your body during exercise and its gradual progression in intensity over time. The program emphasizes starting with horizontal, or recumbent, exercise for the first several months — like swimming, rowing, or the recumbent bicycle. As patients increase stamina, the program works its way up to upright exercise, like walking on the treadmill or the elliptical. Of course, everyone experiences POTS differently, and therefore, any treatments have varying levels of success. Some might start the program bedridden, and therefore will only be able to tolerate a few minutes of horizontal exercise at the beginning. Others might be able to start with the full program right away on a rower or recumbent bike.

How does the POTS Exercise Coach work?

The POTS Exercise Coach is comprised of 130 free videos that map to the 34 week CHOP Modified Dallas Exercise Program. Each workout video provides countdown clocks with visual and auditory cues that support patients as they work through warm ups, cool downs, base pace, and maximal steady state exercise sets. The videos also indicate appropriate exertion levels and exercise positions/machines throughout each workout.

Each week the Exercise Coach provides a schedule for the patient to follow, including which days to do cardio vs. strength and how long each workout should last. Patients have access to all weeks immediately, making it easier to jump back and forth depending on if the patients misses any days of the program.

Tips for How to Exercise with the POTS Exercise Coach

It is critical to consult a doctor before starting this or any new exercise program, and to always listen to your body and how it feels as you work through the program. Your doctor can help you identify target heart ranges and goals for your exercise therapy that may be different than that offered through the POTS Exercise Coach. Based on doctor feedback, some POTS patients might want to complete this exercise under the supervision of a physical therapist, cardiac rehab program, or exercise physiologist, while others can complete it on their own at home or at a gym. Utilizing a heart rate monitor, like an apple watch, fitbit, or chest sensor, can also be useful while completing this program.

What Happens if I Miss a Workout?

If you miss some workouts, that’s ok — you can get right back into the routine no matter how much time you miss:

  • If you miss more than 2 cardio workouts then repeat the full week

  • If you miss a week, back up and repeat the previous week

  • If you miss more than 2 weeks, you should restart from the beginning of the month that you are currently in. If this is too hard then you may need to back up further.

The program gets progressively more difficult as the weeks go on, so when you take time off you’ll need to rebuild your conditioning — this may mean returning to horizontal training before moving forward again.

Disclaimer

The POTS Exercise Coach is available for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. You should obtain professional or specialist advice from your doctor or medical professional (as relevant to your circumstances) before participating in any activities offered in or through the POTS Exercise Coach and never rely on the POTS Exercise Coach in place of seeking professional medical advice.

By accessing the POTS Exercise Coach, you agree that (i) you are voluntarily using or acting upon the POTS Exercise Coach, (ii) your use of or acting upon the POTS Exercise Coach is at your own risk (including, but not limited to, all risk to yourself of harm, injury or illness and in particular any harm, injury or illness resulting from overexertion or exacerbation of any medical conditions caused by the use of the POTS Exercise Coach), and (iii) to the fullest extent permitted by law, the POTS Exercise Coach makes no warranty of any kind, implied or express, as to its accuracy, completeness or appropriateness for any purpose.

Note: The POTS Exercise Coach x Chronius Health has no relationship with or endorsement from Dysautonomia International or the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.