While you may want to push yourself when exercising to get the most benefit from your workout, overexertion can lead to feeling weak and dizzy. While occasionally dizziness can be the result of a serious medical problem, most often it's a question of your nutrition and hydration before and during exercise. By taking your time and increasing exertion levels slowly while staying hydrated, you can ward away that unpleasant dizzy feeling that sometimes occurs during and after exercise.
Symptoms
Feeling dizzy while exercising can be accompanied by a number of other symptoms. You may feel suddenly tired and nauseous, sweat profusely or feel thirsty. While each may only be a mild symptom, together they can ruin your workout. When you feel dizzy, take note of any other symptoms. If your dizziness is a recurring problem, talk to your doctor about all of your symptoms so he can make an accurate diagnosis.
Causes
The dizziness you feel when exercising can be caused by a variety of problems. When you exercise, your heart needs to pump blood to your muscles more effectively. If your heart is weak from inactivity, that overexertion can cause you to feel dizzy. If you workout while hungry, you could be exercising with low blood sugar, which can often make you feel dizzy or shaky. Improper hydration can also contribute to feeling dizzy or faint during exercise and should be remedied as soon as possible.
Treatment
If you begin to feel dizzy while exercising, take a break immediately, especially if you're using an exercise machine. Sit down and have a drink of water until the feeling passes. Usually, bringing your heart rate back down to a resting pace can help you feel less dizzy. If your dizziness doesn't subside or is a constant in your life, make an appointment with your doctor. She can instruct you on various medications, like diazepam or dimenhydrinate, that you can take to stop dizziness quickly, notes MayoClinic.com.
Prevention
Prevention is the easiest and most effective way to stop dizziness while exercising. Before you begin, have a small snack -- like yogurt or cheese -- in order to stabilize your blood sugar. While exercising, continually hydrate your body -- drink about 4 oz. of water every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you don't feel thirsty. After you're finished exercising, bring your heart rate down slowly by cooling down with stretching and walking.
