The most common cause for feeling light-headed after exercising is ending your activity suddenly rather than gradually, according to "How to Exercise," a chapter in "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease." When you stop suddenly, the blood that is in your legs may not make it to your brain. In fact, up to 60 percent of your blood could be below your waist at the moment you stop exercising, wrote exercise expert Dr. Kenneth Cooper.
Explanation
You need adequate blood circulation to the brain and the heart to avoid a serious problem such as a stroke and a heart attack. During vigorous exercise, your heart increases the blood flow to the muscles you're using. Stopping suddenly slows blood circulation and causes a lot of blood to remain in the muscles. Feeling light-headed after exercising is a health risk, but usually isn't a problem. However, feeling light-headed during exercise "may indicate a serious heart condition" and should spur you to seek medical attention, according to Columbia University's Health Q&A Internet Service.
Prevention
You shouldn't stop exercising when your vigorous exercise is complete. In fact, this period is the "most critical" part of your exercise, according to Cooper in "Controlling Cholesterol the Natural Way." This period is called the cooldown. Cooper recommends walking slowly for at least five minutes to prevent the problem of light-headedness. Ornish recommends a cooldown of at least 10 minutes, including a few minutes of stretching plus a few minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercises such as walking.
Considerations
You are more likely to become light-headed under certain conditions or if you overexert yourself, according to Cooper and Ornish. Hot weather, particularly if it's accompanied by high humidity, impairs your body's cooling system. High altitude causes you to work harder and pump more blood to your muscles. Reducing the length and intensity of your exercise in these conditions is recommended. You should also monitor your heart rate. Ornish recommends cooling down until your heart rate is within 10 heartbeats per minute of your pre-exercise heart rate.
Solution
You can quickly recover from being light-headed after exercising, according to the book "Swim, Bike, Run." Authors Glenn Town and Todd Kearney say that the first step is to sit down. Then, raise your legs above the rest of your body, allowing the blood in your legs to flow first to your heart and then to your head. Proper nutrition is also important, because food provides the energy that reduces your chances of being fatigued.
Warnings
The worst thing you can do right after you stop exercising is to sit in a sauna, steamroom or whirlpool, according to Cooper. The heat can cause you to faint, and fainting while sitting could be "disastrous," he says. Light-headedness, however, is not the most serious problem that can occur after exercising. Consult a doctor promptly if you are constantly fatigued or dizzy after exercising or if you have a rapid heartbeat or shortness of breath several minutes after you're finished.
References
- "Controlling Cholesterol The Natural Way"; Dr. Kenneth Cooper and William Proctor; 1999
- "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease"; Dr. Dean Ornish; 1996
- Columbia University's Health Q&A Internet Service: Is It Okay to Feel Lightheaded After Running?
- "Swim, Bike, Run"; Glenn Town and Todd Kearney; 1994
- The Merck Manual of Medical Information; 2003
Member Comments