After deciding I need to lose some weight, I just recently (read: 2 weeks ago) began an exercise regimen. I’ve been running 1 mile and walking 2 miles 3 times a week. So far I’ve lost about 3-4 pounds, which is supposedly healthy, but my problem is that I always feel nauseous about 5 minutes following running, for a duration of about 10 minutes- like I’m going to throw up. I definitely don’t feel like I’m overdoing it in any other ways, since I don’t get to a completely winded point and my legs always feel good afterwards.
I don’t like feeling sick, but I don’t want to stop running, either. I don’t eat anything heavy before I run, and I usually do it around 1-2pm. If anyone could advise, I’d appreciate it!
I have felt sick running before, and usually it is caused by eating before running. Now I don’t eat anything 2-3 hours before running and I don’t get sick.
Or, it could be the heat and/or dehydration. Both can cause headaches or nausea. A lot of people suffer from chronic dehydration.
I’ve gotten sick from both not eating at all before I exercise and eating too much. I’ve also gotten sick from heat/dehydration. Try drinking plenty of water while you exercise and see if that helps, and if you’re hungry before hand, eat a little bit (maybe a slice of bread or something).
If exercise is new to you then you just may be working too hard, too soon.
Every September when I return to training (field hockey) after a 3 month summer break I routinely puke my guts out as we are worked much too hard on the first few weeks of training.
I just started a running and conditioning program at Gold’s Gym. They call it “Boot Camp”, and do drills similar to a military boot camp, and we also run 1-4 miles depending on what other sprints and drills we do.
I also got sick after running the first 2 classes. I did a few things to help myself out.
Drink water. Lots of water. ALL DAY LONG. If you are already dehydrated before you start working out, drinking while you work isn’t going to do much. Dehydration also takes away performance because of cramping and over heating.
I eat a light healthy snack 2-3 hours before I go. Granola bars, fruit, or some yogurt are great. Don’t eat a cheeseburger or something heavy, the key is light. Don’t fill up, eat small. Don’t eat right before.
Stretch and warm up. If you go running without stretching or warming up, it puts a lot of stress on your body. You can pull things, and I personally tend to have a hard time pacing myself if I’m not warmed up. This makes me overheat and hurl.
Cool down. After you get done, stay on your feet and walk around a little. If you go from full exertion to stopped, it will stress your body again. This is the biggest reason I felt bad. I’d get done running and sit down. It’s also a good idea to stretch afterward, to avoid stiffness. Use your cool down to gradually slow your body’s pace down.
Basically, drink tons of water everyday, get a light snack, stretch, warm up, exercise, and cool down.
Who knew there was some much to exercising, other than just exercising
The OP stated that (s)he feels nauseous for about 10 minutes five minutes after running. That has not been addressed. Sure, you can feel nauseous during the run if you ate too much too soon before, if you’re dehydrated, if you run too fast, etc. However, to feel OK during the run and 5 minutes afterwards is another situation.
You’ve just been doing it for two weeks. Give your body a chance to adjust. It may be due to hypotension or for a number of of reasons. IANAMD. Usual caveat. Give your body a chance to adjust, if this phenomenon does not disappear, you may wish to ask your doctor about it, and he or she may refer you to a neurologist. As I said, it can be due to a lot of reasons: hypotension, a neurological problem, or insufficiency of blood to your brainstem due to some kind of vascular constriction. It may also be a cardiac problem. If you haven’t seen your doctor recently, it probably will be a good idea to get a complete physical and tell your doctor your concern.
BTW, to remark to a previous post, it has been found that muscle cramps, which have been attributed to either dehydration or a mineral insufficiency, are usually caused by overexertion.
Might not be the same thing, but on leg day if I do a good workout I feel nauseous and dizzy. I am told this is a sign of a good leg workout. After a good session of Box squats I feel that I could paint the walls.
Do you do conventional running or sprinting? (running is Catabolic FWIW)
i used to get headaches after i ran. Terrible headaches all the time. They seemed to be due to me getting too hot while running, as the few times i ran in the winter i was fine. Usually i could stop them by taking tylenol before i ran.
That is due to hypotension caused by pooling of the blood in your legs. After the work-out, lie down and elevate your legs and see if the nausea does not disappear.
The OP said that (s)he ran only one mile, and I assume this was not a sprint or all-out effort. If exercise as moderate as described causes the symptoms described, this is indicative of some underlying pathology, IMHO. If so, the exercise has been a good thing since it has tipped you off that something is not right.