Adaptive Trailcraft: Hiking with POTS

When Standing Becomes the Test

The first sign isn't dizziness. It's when standing starts to feel expensive.

A slight weakness in the legs. A faint hollow feeling when I stand. Nothing alarming. Just enough that I notice the ground a little more than I did a moment ago.

This hike was short and familiar. Cool air. Easy terrain. Nothing that should have demanded much. I'd already been moving long enough to know my baseline was holding.

Then I stood after a brief pause and felt it—the shift. Not dizziness. Not collapse. Just less margin than before.

I sat back down.

Adapting in Real Time

I stayed seated. Took the weight off my legs. Let circulation settle instead of forcing it to fight. Hydrated slowly, deliberately. Not to fix anything—just to support what was already trying to stabilize.

I waited. Not a moment. Not a few breaths. Long enough for standing to become information instead of a gamble.

When I stood again, the weakness didn't rush back. Heart rate rose, then settled. I didn't feel strong. I felt stable.

That was enough.

I moved on, conservatively. No urgency. No trying to "make up" time. I finished the loop without another stop.

If I'd ignored that first narrowing—if I'd stayed upright to see whether it passed—I'd have been sitting on the trail for an hour or more, waiting for my body to allow me to stand again. Then still facing the walk out.

That early stop protected everything that came after.

This Is Not a How-To

This isn't advice, and it isn't a template. Bodies differ. Conditions differ. What works for me may not work for you.

What is transferable is the mindset:

Notice the shift.
Respect it early.
Respond before the body forces the stop.

For me, that took years to develop. A dysregulated nervous system shaped by chronic illness and early trauma creates so much internal noise that clarity doesn't come naturally. Learning to read my body wasn't intuitive. It was rehabilitation.

What Protected

I didn't push through. I didn't wait for proof. I protected my ability to stand later, to function later, to recover later.

With POTS, success isn't distance or gain. It's continuity. Staying in relationship with movement without triggering collapse.

Stay responsive. Protect your capacity. The trail will still be there.

Safety Note

This is my individual, personal experience, not medical or therapy advice. If something spikes pain or panic, stop. Stabilization beats bravado. Work with a practitioner who respects your pace.

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