Email this page to friends RSS feed About the Author Stew Smith is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former Navy SEAL, and author of several fitness and self defense books such as The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness, and Maximum Fitness. As a military fitness trainer, Stew has trained hundreds of students for Navy SEAL, Special Forces, Air Force PJ, Ranger Training, and other physical law enforcement professions. His eBooks at Military.com can help you achieve your fitness goals, whether you're a beginner or an expert. For more info on his books, visit: Military.com eBook Fitness Store View the Smith Archive Email Stew Smith at stew@stewsmith.com. Visit Stew Smith's Official Website: www.stewsmith.com. Find your destiny among the world's greatest warriors. The Few. The Proud. Marines.com

Often, I receive an email concerning that nauseated feeling you can get when exercising. There are a few issues that can cause this uncomfortable feeling as well as many ways to prevent it. Here is the email to give you a better idea of the issues involved with this topic:

“I noticed that no matter how light or heavy my workout is for the day I always
experience some nausea. Even on the days I do very light cardio and just
weightlift...... could there be something causing this? I am training to pass the PFT
using your training programs. I have the understanding that when you push your
body to a certain point vomiting will happen, but I experience this on the lightest
of days. If you have any advice, please share!”

In my experience, that nauseated feeling has nothing to do with how good of shape you are in. I have seen many people (including myself) who are above average athletes toss their cookies during workouts. We used to joke in my younger days that “if you are not throwing up at the end of a PFT you are not trying.” That is about as true as the saying, “No Pain – No Gain”. Here are some of the things that can cause and prevent this unpleasant feeling:

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•  Early Morning Workouts – Pre-breakfast workouts start your body exercising with minimal fuel in the tank. In other words, since you have not eated in probably 10-12 hours, your blood sugars levels are lower than normal. After any anaerobic activity like – faster running, swimming, high repetition calisthenics or weight lifhting you will hit a wall and feel completely drained. Dizziness soon follows and next thing you know you are nausated. This can also occur in evening workouts if you skip lunch or after noon pre-workout meals. If you sip Gatorade or another electrolyte /sugar replacement drink during your workout, this will help you as well. See either the Nutrition Funamentals article http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_030705,00.html or Summer Lean Down article http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_071105,00.html for ideas on pre-post workout meals.

•  PFT Anxiety – Many people when timed in events such as a physical fitness test can get very nauseated prior to exercise. There are ways to combat this feeling. Check out the article on PFT Anxiety. http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_091604,00.html

•  Motion Sickness – This is probably what caused your nausea. Many people who like to begin their workouts with crunches or other abdominal exercises can actually get motion sick while performing abdominal exercises. This occurs when your eyes are either closed while exercising or your eyes scan the ceiling freely. The answer to this is to simply do the old Navy trick I learned when first on a ship in the North Atlantic - look at the horizon to prevent motion sickness. So when doing abs, lock your eyes on a fixed point on the ceiling of your workout area. You will not longer feel sick by doing this as long as you are properly fueled and not too anxious about your PFT.

A majority of the time the causes for exercise induced nausea are motion sickness or lower blood sugar levels. If there are particular areas you would like for me to discuss in the next month of articles, please email me at stew@stewsmith.com. Whether you are an advanced athlete or getting started again - please feel free to contact me.

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© 2005 Stew Smith. All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.