🦓 Exercise Awareness: hEDS/HSD/POTS/MCAS

“It’s me. Hi! I’m the problem; it’s me.” -T.Swift

Are you tired of being the ‘problem’ in a group exercise class? Or maybe you’ve even hired a personal trainer, and they don’t know what to do with all of your ‘issues.’ I speak from experience because I’ve been made to feel bad about myself for not keeping up, for having movement patterns that look different, or for whatever an ignorant mind in the fitness industry might say.

Right now the fitness industry lacks literature on hEDS/HSD/POTS/MCAS. So personal trainers and group fitness instructors will not be familiar with your needs unless they are Zebras themselves. If you have been circling your health insurance with any of the Zebra acronyms listed above, then you know that the literature hasn’t landed with many physicians or physical therapists either. In fact, you’re extremely lucky to find someone to give you a diagnosis at all. When you do, a physician/PA/nurse practitioner will also make the recommended exercise/lifestyle prescription with limited exercise science and nutrition education. My feedback from fellow Zebras was that they were told to “do what you can” with examples of exercise on mind-numbing seated hamster wheels sprinkled in with broad, umbrella-term brands of exercise (e.g., Pilates & yoga), that left them feeling unsure of what to actually do. These recommendations contradict any weight loss that might have been nudged in with the exercise prescription. I have opinions on why these general concepts of exercise prescriptions are a disservice to the Zebra community.

5 Ways Common Group Fitness Classes Fail Zebras:

1. Inappropriate exercise selection and intensity

2. Poor exercise execution = ineffective training because of lack of motor control & proprioception

3. Stress out the “other” joints that aren’t the main focal point of an exercise

4. Potential for fainting/dizzy spells because the group instructor prioritizes the ‘flow’ of the class above an individual

5. The overwhelming feeling of defeat when you are left to make your own modifications/drop out of every other exercise

So why are Zebras instructed to “do what they can” and to make their own modifications in normal-bodied classes? Isn’t having Zebra stripes hard enough? You shouldn’t have to do your own program design, too. You deserve better.

Here are several needs that must be addressed when exercising with Zebra clusters:

• cervical spine stability

• thoracic spine mobility and strength

• flexibility — despite having some hyper-mobile joints, many parts may be/get stiff

• body awareness — the internal sensation of body position is low, because of all the extra position possibilities that hyper-mobility provides

• orthostatic hypotension/intolerance; postural level changes & PHA training cause extreme blood pressure drops

• fear — constant fear of doing too much. This fear stems from experience, lack of research, and lack of access educated professionals

These needs are not met in a regular group fitness or yoga class. That is why I created my own semi-private conditioning class to address these 🦓 needs with targeting training strategies. Also, I genuinely care about your exercise safety and want you to receive long-term health benefits from your exercise efforts.

If you resonate with what I described above, please inquire about the Joint Primer conditioning class.

Space is limited for maximum focus on each individual. Joint Primer is judgment-free, confidential, conditioning class, with participants pre-screened before participation.