They all say you should exercise to stay fit. It is true that working out will improve your health, however, you may sometimes have to deal with certain unpleasant side effects, such as blurry vision, nausea, or dizziness. Have you been experiencing these side effects for some time now? Do you wonder why this happens? Keep reading to learn the possible reasons and how to avoid it.

Why Am I Feeling Sick After Exercise?

You may feel sick after working out for many different reasons. Some of the most common issues causing dizziness or nausea are mentioned here.

1. Early Morning Workouts

It is common to feel dizzy after an early morning workout session. Pre-breakfast workouts mean your body does not have enough fuel to keep you going through a strenuous workout session. You have not eaten anything for the last 10-12 hours, which will lower your blood sugar levels and leave you with less energy to perform any anaerobic activity like swimming, running, weight lifting, or high repetition calisthenics. In this situation, it is quite common for people to feel completely drained and nauseous as well.

2. Motion Sickness

If you always start your workout with crunches or some other abdominal exercises, you may end up feeling nauseous after your workout. Motion sickness progresses from a feeling of uneasiness to sweating and/or dizziness. This is usually quickly followed by nausea and/or vomiting.

3. Eating Too Close or Too Much Before Your Workout

One of the reasons you are feeling sick after exercise is that you eat too close to your workout. You may end up dealing with indigestion issues if you eat less than a couple of hours before your workout. Doing exercises such as crunches or other moves that use your core muscles will put pressure on your stomach and even push acid and food back up into your esophagus. This will cause nausea and heartburn.

If you have eaten well before your workout but you still feel nauseous during exercise, it could be because you have eaten too much. Do not overeat and give your body ample time to digest what you have eaten before starting your workout.

4. High Intensity Workouts

If your weights that are a little too heavy, you may feel sick during or after a workout session. Your body needs oxygen while you are working out, but it sometimes fails to get all the oxygen you need during a very high intensity workout. The lack of oxygen will make you feel dizzy and even nauseous. Your body may also try to get rid of anything in your stomach during an intense workout to ensure your muscles get all the blood, but this may lead to exercise induced nausea.

5. Too Much Fluid Intake

Drinking too much fluid will also make you feel sick during or after a workout. While performing crunches or other exercises that put pressure on your abdomen, you will end up pushing water back up into your esophagus. This will cause heartburn as well as nausea.

Watch this video to hear more about why you are feeling sick after exercise.

What to Do to Prevent Feeling Sick After Exercise?

In order to prevent this post-workout symptoms, you need to understand exactly what is causing this in the first place. Take the following steps to avoid feeling dizzy or nauseous after exercise.

1. Drink Water Regularly

Dehydration can be one of the reasons why you end up feeling sick after exercise. Drink water before, during, and after your workout, but do not drink too much. Drink at least a couple of cups of water every couple of hours before working out. Drink two cups every half an hour before you start exercising, and drink half cup of water every 15 minutes while working out. See your doctor if you notice symptoms of dehydration such as sticky mouth, dry mouth, muscle weakness, decreased urine output, and headaches.

2. Eat a Moderate Meal Before Your Workout

Not eating anything before your workout will quickly make you feel nauseous. Your blood sugar level drops quickly if you have not eaten anything and still engage in strenuous workouts. Once your body has used up any stored calories, you will start to sweat more and even feel dizzy. Eat at least 300 calories, which includes carbs and protein, before your workout. Instead of eating your meal, you may consider eating a small carbohydrate-based snack. Add a protein shake to your pre-workout snack to provide your body with enough fuel to handle a strenuous workout session.

3. Enjoy a Power Drink

If your blood sugar drops quickly, you may consider drinking a power drink during your workout. You can always try Gatorade for better effects. Sweet drinks and fruit have high levels of sugar, but they will keep you hydrated and will not let your blood sugar level drop a lot during your workout.

4. Avoid Carbonated Drinks

While you can enjoy a power drink, you should avoid carbonated drinks during or even after your workouts. Such drinks can increase the amount of gas in your stomach that will make you sick. Drinking from a glass is much better than drinking from a water bottle.

5. Do Not Close Your Eyes When You Exercise

This is especially important when performing abdominal crunches or other floor exercises, including Pilates and yoga. Do not close your eyes; instead, focus on the horizon to prevent motion sickness. Simply pick a spot and fix your eyes on it while doing exercises.

6. Breathe Slowly During Workouts

This is especially important when lifting weights. Many people hold their breath when lifting heavy weight, and they end up feeling sick after exercise. Learn to control your breathing during exercise. This will help lower your blood pressure and prevent nausea.

7. Avoid High Intensity Workout

You will end up feeling sick due to overexertion. Never let your heart rate go beyond 70% of your maximum heart rate.