5 Reasons You May Feel Dizzy During Exercise. Exercising is good. However, if you are dizzy or lightheaded during your workout, you may want to find out the reason why that happens. In fact, after first 5 to 10 minutes of the cardio session,It’s usual to feel dizzy after standing up too soon from lying down or sitting, as well as after exercising. A simple alteration in body alignment that draws your bloodflow lower can cause fainting or dizzy episodes. you should feel invigorated and not feeling dizzy or light headed. Here are some of the possible reasons:
You are exercising on an empty stomach.
Some people exercise early in the morning before they go to work. After the last meal which was 8 to 10 hours a night before, the body is low on energy. So, if this happens to you, you should eat something light like fruit or oatmeal 30 to 60 minutes before exercising.
You are not drinking enough water.
If you are exercising for long hours and you do not drink enough, as you sweat, you lose water. So, continue to sip enough water now and then throughout the exercise. You need to prehydrate 30 minutes before you go to the gym with about 8 ounces of fluid. Drink water unless your doctor encourages you to have a sports drink. For every 15 minutes of exercise, drink 4 ounces of fluid.
My friend had once felt dizzy while doing some yoga poses where her head is lower than the heart. One example was downward facing dog. People suffering from low blood pressure usually have this problem. What the instructor advised her was to take her time and change the posture slowly. As for people doing weight training, perform standing exercise and then all the floor exercises later.
As for myself, I sometimes feel dizzy after I perform leg workouts such as squats and deadlifts. What happened is that the blood has rushed to my legs to fuel the leg muscles. Instead of sitting down or standing still, I walk around to help the blood recirculate back to normal quicker.
You are working out extraordinary too hard too soon.
If you have not been exercising for some time and now trying to do vigorous exercise for hours, your body may not be able to take it. Take things easy. Overtraining and lack of warm up can also cause dizziness.
Last but not least, when you suddenly stop running or cycling, you get dizzy or lightheaded. Some people even fainted. When we work out, our hearts pump harder and faster. This pumping will increase blood flow to the actively exercising muscles. Blood vessels in the skin expand to dissipate heat. When exercise ends suddenly, the heart slows down its pumping activity, decreasing blood circulation even though blood vessels remain dilated. As a result, blood pressure can fall and a person can feel dizzy or even faint. To help prevent feeling dizzy after exercise, cooling down is important. Slowing down in this way can help maintain heart rate and blood circulation. If you are running, jogging first before dropping down to a brisk walking pace could do the trick. Do not stop immediately.
Watch your target heart rate
Be sure you’re staying in your target heart rate where you feel comfortable. POTS patients don’t fall into typical exercise heart-rate levels so testing determines what they can tolerate. Know your parameters and stay within those levels.
“In general, orthostatic hypotension can range from a few seconds to several minutes, but if it happens frequently it can be a flag for more serious medical conditions,” Crawford emphasizes. “See your doctor if you feel light-headed when standing up on a regular basis.”
Other medical conditions that cause dizziness
Dehydration and dizziness can also be caused by not drinking enough fluids, fever, vomiting, or severe diarrhoea.
Furthermore, certain medical disorders, such as: might prevent your body from responding quickly enough to pump more blood while standing up.
- Extremely low heart rate (bradycardia).
- Heart valve problems.
- Heart attack or heart failure.
There are also several nervous system disorders can disrupt your body’s normal blood pressure regulation system such as:
- Parkinson’s disease.
- Multiple system atrophy.
- Pure autonomic failure.
Endocrine problems that can cause dizziness:
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
- Diabetes (which can damage nerves that regulate blood pressure).
- Thyroid conditions.
- Adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease).
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I am Ankit Sharma Nutrition Consultant. My approach is holistic and customized to enable you to achieve true wellness – physically, mentally, and emotionally. I am from India but have clients across the globe. I can work with you to say goodbye to counting calories and short-term solutions. You will achieve long-term sustainable change in the way that they are eating, moving, living, and believing.