When you work out without properly preparing your body, you may find that you feel dizzy and nauseous as you exercise. Besides the obvious problems of not feeling your best, the sensation can be dangerous, especially when you exercise with heavy pieces of equipment. By understanding the symptoms to look for and what causes the sensation of feeling dizzy and nauseous, you can properly prepare before a workout while actively preventing the feeling while you exercise.
Causes
The nauseous feeling and dizziness you experience while working out can be the result of any number of problems. One likely culprit is a heart that is working too hard. When you're exercising intensely, your heart may not be able to circulate blood as fast as your body needs it. This results in less blood going to the brain and a feeling of dizziness. Taking certain medications can also make you feel dizzy and nauseous during exercise. An ear infection can affect your balance and simply exercising too hard can make you feel sick.
Symptoms
The way you feel dizzy may be different than how someone else experiences the sensation. You may start to feel light-headed or faint at first. Blurred vision and extreme fatigue are also common with dizziness. If you start to feel sick, you may need to vomit, a sure sign that you're exercising too intensely. You may also experience vertigo -- the feeling that you're moving even when you're standing still.
Treatment
While occasional dizziness and nausea while exercising is fairly normal, if it's more than an occasional event it's time to make an appointment with your doctor. When you experience dizziness, the best course of action is to stop what you're doing slowly and find somewhere to sit or lay down flat. This will help your body to regulate circulation so you feel steady again. If you're feeling nauseous, try taking a drink of water and lying down for a few moments until you feel better. If your problems are constant, your doctor may have your blood checked for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
Prevention
Unless your dizziness and nausea are caused by an underlying medical condition, the conditions are fairly easy to prevent. Start by having a small meal before you exercise, like a protein bar or a cup of yogurt. This will help stabilize your blood sugar. Then, continue to drink water and stay hydrated throughout your workout, as dehydration can make your nausea seem worse. Finally, cool down after exercise to bring your heart rate back down to a resting rate slowly so the sudden change in heart rate doesn't make you feel dizzy or sick.
