Dizzy while working out
6 Possible Causes, Treatment, Prevention
Things to consider
If a recent sweat sesh has left you reeling, its normal to be concerned.
Post-workout dizziness usually isn’t a sign of anything serious. Oftentimes, it results from improper breathing or dehydration.
Sound familiar? Read on to learn more about why this happens and what you can do to stop it.
When you’re exercising, your muscles eat up a lot of oxygen. Your breathing and heart rate increase so that more oxygenated blood can flow into your muscles.
If you aren’t breathing enough during or after exercise, your heart may not be pumping enough oxygenated blood into your brain. Dizziness can occur whenever the brain is starved for oxygen.
How to find relief
Take a seat on the floor. Take three deep breaths and exhale slowly. Continue for three to five minutes before slowly rising to a standing position.
How to prevent this in the future
Many people hold or restrict their breath during certain workouts, such as core exercises. Try to find a happy medium between keeping your core tight and holding your breath. The longer you work on this, the easier it will become.
Although overexertion is common in group exercise classes and team training sessions, it can happen anywhere, anytime.
Pushing too hard during your workout can cause your blood pressure to drop or result in dehydration. This can leave you feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or faint.
How to find relief
If you’re feeling dizzy, take a minute to cool down, catch your breath, and slow your heart rate. Drink as much water as possible to rehydrate your depleted muscles.
How to prevent this in the future
Trying to do too much too fast can do more harm than good, so listen to your body. You should push yourself, but do so slowly over time.
For now, try taking your workouts down a few notches. You can gradually increase their intensity each week until you reach your desired level.
Dehydration happens whenever you lose more water than you’re taking in.
When you exercise, your body temperature rises. Your body sweats to cool itself down. You can lose a lot of water during intense exercise, especially if it’s a hot day.
In addition to dizziness, you may experience:
- lightheadedness
- dry mouth
- extreme thirst
- fatigue
How to find relief
This is an easy one. Drink water! Lots of it.
How to prevent this in the future
It isn’t enough to carry a water bottle — you also have to drink it!
You may find it helpful to stick to set water breaks during a workout. Consider taking a drink after you complete a certain number of minutes or rotations.
You should also ensure that you have enough water to sustain you during your workout.
Take your access to refill stations, the intensity of the exercise, and overall duration into consideration when packing your water supply.
When you exercise, your muscles consume more energy than normal.
During the first 15 minutes of exercise, your body draws on the sugar (glucose) floating around in your bloodstream and muscles to sustain you.
Once that’s depleted, your blood sugar drops. Your body taps into your reserves, drawing glucose from your liver.
Your brain relies on glucose to function normally. When your brain is starved for glucose, you may feel dizzy.
Other symptoms include:
- sweating
- shaking
- confusion
- headache
- fatigue
How to find relief
Low blood sugar can be easily remedied by eating a small snack, like a banana.
For faster results, try drinking a glass of juice. Juice contains fructose, a natural form of glucose that the body absorbs quickly.
How to prevent this in the future
To keep your blood sugar levels from dropping during your workouts, make sure your body has plenty of glucose reserves to draw on. You can do this by snacking on whole grains or lean proteins about an hour or so before your workout.
Your blood pressure is normally at its lowest point about 30 to 60 minutes after exercise.
Some people experience a more rapid drop.
This can happen during any type of exercise, but may be more common when you fail to cool down after a vigorous workout.
When you’re exercising, your heart and muscles are working in overdrive. They keep the blood pumping, so that your muscles can get the oxygen they need.
When you abruptly stop exercising, your heart and muscles quickly return to their normal pace. It can take a little longer for your blood vessels to catch up. This means that oxygenated blood may flow to your brain at a slower rate than normal.
When your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen, it makes you feel dizzy and lightheaded.
How to find relief
If you’re feeling lightheaded or faint, sit down and put your head between your knees. This will help bring oxygenated blood to your brain.
How to prevent this in the future
It isn’t always possible to prevent blood pressure drops.
It may help to be fully hydrated, as dehydration may exacerbate the problem. Make sure you eat well before your workouts and maintain a healthy diet.
If you take any blood pressure medications, talk to your doctor about your symptoms. They may be able to prescribe a different medication or make other recommendations.
If your normal workout routine is suddenly causing dizziness, take a break until you’re able to speak with your doctor.
Pregnancy shouldn’t have any effect on your workout routine, which means your dizziness may be caused by one of the conditions listed above.
In some cases, dizziness could be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia or preeclampsia.
See a doctor immediately if you’re experiencing:
- swelling in the face or hands
- high blood pressure
- blurred vision
- persistent headaches
Your doctor will want to run some tests to determine what’s causing your symptoms and whether it’s affecting the pregnancy. They can advise you on any next steps.
If you adjust your routine but continue to experience dizziness, make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare provider.
You can book an appointment with a primary care provider in your area using our Healthline FindCare tool. Your symptoms may be a sign of an underlying condition.
Your provider will perform a physical exam to assess how well your heart and lungs are functioning. They may also request blood tests to check for nutritional deficiencies, infection, or diabetes.
6 Possible Causes, Treatment, Prevention
Things to consider
If a recent sweat sesh has left you reeling, its normal to be concerned.
Post-workout dizziness usually isn’t a sign of anything serious. Oftentimes, it results from improper breathing or dehydration.
Sound familiar? Read on to learn more about why this happens and what you can do to stop it.
When you’re exercising, your muscles eat up a lot of oxygen. Your breathing and heart rate increase so that more oxygenated blood can flow into your muscles.
If you aren’t breathing enough during or after exercise, your heart may not be pumping enough oxygenated blood into your brain.
Dizziness can occur whenever the brain is starved for oxygen.
How to find relief
Take a seat on the floor. Take three deep breaths and exhale slowly. Continue for three to five minutes before slowly rising to a standing position.
How to prevent this in the future
Many people hold or restrict their breath during certain workouts, such as core exercises. Try to find a happy medium between keeping your core tight and holding your breath. The longer you work on this, the easier it will become.
Although overexertion is common in group exercise classes and team training sessions, it can happen anywhere, anytime.
Pushing too hard during your workout can cause your blood pressure to drop or result in dehydration. This can leave you feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or faint.
How to find relief
If you’re feeling dizzy, take a minute to cool down, catch your breath, and slow your heart rate. Drink as much water as possible to rehydrate your depleted muscles.
How to prevent this in the future
Trying to do too much too fast can do more harm than good, so listen to your body. You should push yourself, but do so slowly over time.
For now, try taking your workouts down a few notches. You can gradually increase their intensity each week until you reach your desired level.
Dehydration happens whenever you lose more water than you’re taking in.
When you exercise, your body temperature rises. Your body sweats to cool itself down. You can lose a lot of water during intense exercise, especially if it’s a hot day.
In addition to dizziness, you may experience:
- lightheadedness
- dry mouth
- extreme thirst
- fatigue
How to find relief
This is an easy one. Drink water! Lots of it.
How to prevent this in the future
It isn’t enough to carry a water bottle — you also have to drink it!
You may find it helpful to stick to set water breaks during a workout.
Consider taking a drink after you complete a certain number of minutes or rotations.
You should also ensure that you have enough water to sustain you during your workout.
Take your access to refill stations, the intensity of the exercise, and overall duration into consideration when packing your water supply.
When you exercise, your muscles consume more energy than normal.
During the first 15 minutes of exercise, your body draws on the sugar (glucose) floating around in your bloodstream and muscles to sustain you.
Once that’s depleted, your blood sugar drops. Your body taps into your reserves, drawing glucose from your liver.
Your brain relies on glucose to function normally. When your brain is starved for glucose, you may feel dizzy.
Other symptoms include:
- sweating
- shaking
- confusion
- headache
- fatigue
How to find relief
Low blood sugar can be easily remedied by eating a small snack, like a banana.
For faster results, try drinking a glass of juice. Juice contains fructose, a natural form of glucose that the body absorbs quickly.
How to prevent this in the future
To keep your blood sugar levels from dropping during your workouts, make sure your body has plenty of glucose reserves to draw on. You can do this by snacking on whole grains or lean proteins about an hour or so before your workout.
Your blood pressure is normally at its lowest point about 30 to 60 minutes after exercise.
Some people experience a more rapid drop. This can happen during any type of exercise, but may be more common when you fail to cool down after a vigorous workout.
When you’re exercising, your heart and muscles are working in overdrive. They keep the blood pumping, so that your muscles can get the oxygen they need.
When you abruptly stop exercising, your heart and muscles quickly return to their normal pace. It can take a little longer for your blood vessels to catch up.
This means that oxygenated blood may flow to your brain at a slower rate than normal.
When your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen, it makes you feel dizzy and lightheaded.
How to find relief
If you’re feeling lightheaded or faint, sit down and put your head between your knees. This will help bring oxygenated blood to your brain.
How to prevent this in the future
It isn’t always possible to prevent blood pressure drops.
It may help to be fully hydrated, as dehydration may exacerbate the problem. Make sure you eat well before your workouts and maintain a healthy diet.
If you take any blood pressure medications, talk to your doctor about your symptoms. They may be able to prescribe a different medication or make other recommendations.
If your normal workout routine is suddenly causing dizziness, take a break until you’re able to speak with your doctor.
Pregnancy shouldn’t have any effect on your workout routine, which means your dizziness may be caused by one of the conditions listed above.
In some cases, dizziness could be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia or preeclampsia.
See a doctor immediately if you’re experiencing:
- swelling in the face or hands
- high blood pressure
- blurred vision
- persistent headaches
Your doctor will want to run some tests to determine what’s causing your symptoms and whether it’s affecting the pregnancy. They can advise you on any next steps.
If you adjust your routine but continue to experience dizziness, make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare provider. You can book an appointment with a primary care provider in your area using our Healthline FindCare tool. Your symptoms may be a sign of an underlying condition.
Your provider will perform a physical exam to assess how well your heart and lungs are functioning. They may also request blood tests to check for nutritional deficiencies, infection, or diabetes.
Why dizziness occurs during or after exercise
In general, dizziness during exercise is not a cause for concern.
But you need to know about these reasons.
Petr Yastrebov
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You forget to breathe
When you exercise your muscles consume a lot of oxygen. Breathing and heart rate increase to supply more oxygenated blood to the muscles. If you're short of breath during or after exercise, your heart may not be pumping enough oxygenated blood to your brain. Dizziness can occur when the brain lacks oxygen.
What to do? Sit on the floor. Take three deep breaths and exhale slowly. Continue for three to five minutes before slowly rising to a standing position.
How can this be prevented in the future? Many people hold or restrict their breath during certain activities, such as core exercises. Try to find a middle ground between body tension and breath holding. The longer you work on it, the easier it will become.
You are overexerting
Although overexertion is common in group classes and workouts, it can happen anywhere, anytime. Excessive effort during exercise can lead to a drop in blood pressure or dehydration. This may cause dizziness or fainting.
What to do? If you feel dizzy, take a minute to cool down, catch your breath and slow down your heartbeat. Drink some water.
How can this be prevented in the future? Trying to do too much too fast can do more harm than good, so listen to your body. Yes, you have to push yourself, but do it slowly.
In the meantime, try reducing the intensity of your workouts a bit. You can gradually increase their intensity every week until you reach the desired level.
You are dehydrated
Dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you take in. When you exercise, your body temperature rises. The body sweats to cool down. You can lose a lot of water during intense exercise, especially on a hot day. In addition to dizziness, dry mouth, extreme thirst, and fatigue may also occur.
What to do? Everything is very simple. Drink water! Lots of.
How can this be prevented in the future? It's not enough to carry a bottle of water with you - you have to drink it! You may find it helpful to take water breaks during your workout. Consider taking a couple of sips after you finish your next set. Also make sure you have enough water to last until the end of your workout.
You have low blood sugar
When you exercise, your muscles use more energy than usual. At first, the body uses the sugar (glucose) circulating in the bloodstream and muscles to keep you going. When it is depleted, blood sugar levels may drop. The body taps into reserves by extracting glucose from the liver. The brain requires glucose to function properly, and when it is hungry for glucose, you may feel dizzy. Other symptoms are sweating, hand trembling, headache, fatigue.
What to do? Low blood sugar can be easily corrected with a small snack, such as a banana. For faster results, try drinking a glass of juice.
How can this be prevented in the future? To keep your blood sugar from dropping during exercise, make sure you have enough glucose stores in your body to use. You can do this by snacking on whole grains or lean protein before your workout.
You have low blood pressure
Blood pressure is usually at its lowest about 30-60 minutes after exercise. For some people, it falls faster. This can happen during any type of exercise, but it's more common when you can't cool down after an intense workout.
When you stop exercising abruptly, your heart and muscles return to their normal rhythm. The blood vessels may take a little longer to realign. Therefore, oxygenated blood may enter the brain a little slower than usual. When the brain doesn't get enough oxygen, you may feel dizzy.
What to do? If you feel dizzy or weak, sit with your head between your knees. This will help deliver oxygenated blood to the brain.
How can this be prevented in the future? It is not always possible to prevent a drop in blood pressure. A good level of hydration can help, as dehydration exacerbates the problem.
Eat well before training and follow a healthy diet. If you are taking any blood pressure medication, talk to your doctor about these symptoms. He may give other recommendations.
( See also: Why does it hurt in the side during exercise?)
Dizziness during exercise - Rehabilitation Neurology Clinic
Dizziness during exercise - Rehabilitation Neurology Clinic Gimranov Rinat Fazylzhanovich
Neurologist, neurophysiologist, experience - 33 years;
Professor of Neurology, MD;
Clinic for Rehabilitation Neurology. About the author
Publication date: November 8, 2021
A healthy lifestyle and measures to prevent hundreds of diseases cannot be imagined without regular exercise. Classes in the gym or jogging 2-3 times a week have become part of life for the population of cities.
However, do not forget that even such a useful activity can lead to unpleasant consequences.
Often people complain of dizziness after or during physical activity in a normal state of health. These are signals that should not be ignored.
Article content:
- 1 Causes
- 1.1 Physiological factors
- 1.2 Possible diseases
- 2 What to do?
- 3 Methods of prevention
- 4 References
Causes
As a rule, the cause of this condition is the neglect of the rules of preparation for classes and their conduct. In such situations, getting rid of seizures is not difficult: consult a trainer, reduce the intensity, take precautions [1]. However, cases are not uncommon when dangerous diseases manifest themselves in this way for the first time.
You can't let the situation take its course, you need to find out why during training you feel dizzy and have other unpleasant sensations.
Physiological factors
Causes of dizziness during or after training can be relatively safe temporary factors [2]:
- Dehydration, lack of water due to sweating and insufficient drinking, leads to bouts of weakness, deterioration of well-being.
To avoid this, trainers recommend drinking water with the addition of salt in between exercises.
- Side effects of certain drugs. When prescribing, check with your doctor if they are compatible with physical activity, training.
- Overheating or lack of oxygen. Miscalculations in the air conditioning of the premises where classes take place affect the athletes. People become ill due to lack of air, which is extremely important with significant physical exertion.
- Adrenaline rush. The competitive component activates the synthesis of stress hormones. Which, in turn, leads to vasospasm and provokes a lack of oxygen for the brain.
- Improper nutrition. Overeating before exercise or lack of nutrients equally adversely affect the well-being of a person during increased stress.
In addition to quickly eliminated benign causes, attacks of malaise in the gym can be caused by a serious pathology.
Possible diseases
Determining why dizziness and nausea during and after physical exertion during the examination, the doctor reveals serious diseases that clearly manifest themselves during periods of heavy exertion.
Similar symptoms are typical for:
- Arterial hypertension. Physical overload contributes to a rapid increase in pressure, as well as an unhealthy lifestyle. If you are predisposed to such a disease, choose a sport with moderate, time-distributed loads.
- A sharp drop in blood glucose, hypoglycemia. Occurs as a result of malnutrition. It can also be a signal of the development of serious diseases, for example, become a manifestation of diabetes.
- Arterial hypotension. In the course of training to saturate the tissues with oxygen, the vessels further expand. After the end of physical activity, they soon return to their original state. But people with low blood pressure often develop bouts of weakness and dizziness, both during exercise and immediately after exercise.
- High intracranial pressure. A person's condition deteriorates sharply when performing any exercises that involve a high load [3]. For people with such a problem, exercise therapy complexes are shown.
- Atherosclerosis of the vessels of the brain and arteries that feed the central nervous system. You should beware of sudden movements, a quick change in body position in space, calculate the load taking into account the disease.
It is important to pay attention to these symptoms in young people. Dizziness in a teenager under load (running, weightlifting) may be the first symptom of cardiac pathology: heart disease, severe valve prolapse.
Before you start regular intensive training, you should consult a doctor and undergo a medical examination. At a minimum - ECG, rheoencephalography, electroencephalography.
Early diagnosis helps to assess the limits of permissible loads, permitted sports. Otherwise, there is a high probability not to improve health, but to harm it.
What to do?
If you feel dizzy during or after exercising in the gym with your usual activities, it is important to determine why this is happening. If earlier examinations showed that everything is in order with health, then you can independently prevent an attack or stop an attack that has already begun.
Help to get rid of discomfort:
- Compliance with the rules of healthy eating and individual recommendations of a doctor and trainer.
- Watch the water. Be sure to drink during your workout to avoid dehydration problems.
- Thoughtful balance of work and rest. Do not come to the gym tired or feeling unsatisfactory. It is better to spend this time for healthy sleep.
- Taking a break between workouts and a walk to a place with fresh or cool air will help relieve unpleasant dizziness.
- If you feel bad, stop the class. Do not try to endure, as the condition may worsen and reach fainting.
If the head is spinning even after exercise, simple physical exercises, gymnastics, the doctor should find out why this happens [4].
By seeking help in time, it is possible to avoid a severe course of the disease.
Methods of prevention
As a rule, if after physical. the load is dizzy, the reason lies rather in the wrong approach to classes.
The correct organization of training and the observance of preventive measures will help to eliminate this moment.
We offer a list of what sports functionaries advise to observe:
- Choose light clothing made from breathable materials as a uniform. Tight, but not tight in any places, suitable in size.
- Be sure to conduct a quality warm-up before starting the main load. End with stretching.
- For drinking, choose water without gas, drink it in small sips and rinse your mouth, do not drink energy and tonic drinks during training.
- When exercising, it is worth eating food with sufficient amounts of protein and vitamins, reducing the intake of sugar-containing foods.
- Control the time between meals and the start of exercise. The ideal interval is 1.5 - 2 hours. This will maximize the use of the energy received from food.
- If you feel worse, it is better to stop exercising, as there is a high probability of aggravating negative manifestations.
- Calculate the intensity of your workouts according to your fitness level. Increase the load gradually, beware of overtraining.
- If you are prone to dizziness, avoid exercises that bring your head below chest level.
If after a workout, following all the recommendations, you feel weak, dark in the eyes and dizzy, and attacks of poor health occur regularly or are pronounced, then you should pay close attention to this and consult a doctor [5]. Probably, until the cause of the problem is clarified and eliminated, the training will have to be interrupted.
References
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