Medical

Dizzy fits during sports - these may be the causes

Everyone knows that exercise is healthy for the body and circulation. But what if you suddenly feel dizzy while exercising? We tell you what could be behind it and what you can do. Regardless of whether you want to live healthier, reduce stress or get fitter — we at Holmes Place can help you do just that: with over 75 weekly classes, fully equipped gym floors in the clubs, personal training, nutrition tips, wellness and lots of tips for your health. You're in good hands here!

Dizziness attacks during sport — these may be the causes

Posted on blog, Medical, fitness

Everyone knows that exercise is healthy for the body and circulation. But what if you suddenly feel dizzy while exercising? We tell you what could be behind it and what you can do. Regardless of whether you want to live healthier, reduce stress or get fitter — we at Holmes Place can help you do just that: with over 75 weekly classes, fully equipped gym floors in the clubs, personal training, nutrition tips, wellness and lots of tips for your health. You're in good hands here!

What can cause circulatory problems?

Talk to our staff if you feel dizzy during training. The good news is that there is usually nothing serious behind it. Circulatory problems can occur, for example, if you exercise too intensively.

Especially for newcomers: Start slowly and gradually increase. This is because it takes your body a while to adapt to the new movement.

Causes of dizziness when exercising

When exercising, the body needs more energy, fluids and oxygen than usual. If one of them is missing, it not only affects performance, but it can also cause discomfort.

Cause of fluid loss: When you move intensively, you lose a lot of fluid through sweat. Sweating is necessary to cool the body heated by movement. By the way, well-trained people sweat more than less sporty people with the same effort. The quantity varies. But it's important to make up for fluid loss. You shouldn't drink anything until you're thirsty.

To make sure you're getting enough fluids, drink half a liter of water before training (starting around two hours before). During sport itself, around a quarter liter of water per quarter of an hour is a good value. And drinking is also the order of the day after training.

If you work out for more than an hour, try drinking an isotonic drink instead of water. About an apple spritzer (consisting of juice and three times the amount of water) into which you add a pinch of table salt.

Cause of low blood sugar: Many people love to do their workout first thing in the morning, before breakfast. If you get dizzy in such a situation, empty energy storage could be the cause. As a result, blood sugar levels fall — your body hypoglycemia.

Possible consequences include dizziness, but also tremors, rapid heartbeats and nausea. You should therefore take a piece of banana or an energy bar with you and eat it immediately if you feel dizzy. It is generally recommended to eat something two hours before training to avoid low blood sugar. The cheapest are complex carbohydrates.

Cause of low blood pressure: Dizziness during exercise may also be related to a drop in blood pressure. Some people generally have low blood pressure, but sometimes the blood pressure drops all of a sudden. For example, when you get up all of a sudden, have not slept enough or you end your sporting activity very abruptly.

Dizziness occurs because there is not enough blood flow to the brain. Here you can take preventive action: brush massages and contrast showers stimulate circulation. In addition, make sure you drink enough. You should refrain from eating heavy food and alcohol.

Cause of adverse breathing technique: We rarely pay attention to our breathing — we simply breathe. About 30,000 times a day. But proper breathing is particularly important when exercising, because: The more you move, the more oxygen your body needs. But anyone who breathes shallowly and quickly now absorbs less oxygen, produces less carbon dioxide and thus risks dizziness. In addition, the muscles in the neck and shoulders are under greater strain.

During superficial breathing, we do not use our body's most important respiratory muscle, the diaphragm. However, this is recommended because it allows us to absorb more oxygen.

You can recognize “correct” breathing by the fact that the stomach bulges forward when you inhale and becomes flat again when you exhale. This allows us to breathe calmly while relaxing the shoulder and neck muscles. The muscles also benefit from this, as they are better supplied with oxygen. Talk to trainers at Holmes Place clubs about appropriate deep diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

In case of dizziness: take a break

If you feel dizzy while exercising, you should immediately take a break. Sit down for a minute or take a few steps. Important: Keep your head above your heart — so you shouldn't lie down. Drink some water and bite into a banana or energy bar to provide your body with carbohydrates.

Important: If you are unsure where the dizziness is coming from, contact the trainers. This is also true if you feel weak, have shortness of breath, chest pain, or have trouble seeing or speaking. In such a case, you should seek medical examination to rule out a serious illness.