Feeling sick after exercise

[EricaNurney]

Hello all,

I'm extremely unfit and somewhat overweight and need to shift my butt. I've just done 10 minutes on a cross-trainer and stopped when my thigh muscles started to feel like jelly, but now i've stopped i feel rather queasy. I ate about 2 hours ago and didn't drink for half an hour before starting, though i'm having some water now.

Have i done anything wrong or is this normal when starting out and will it pass as i start to get fitter?

Thanks for any help x

[Lakitu]

You should drink water before, during and after your exercise, this will keep your muscles hydrated and less likely to go like jelly while exercising, particularly so soon into the workout.

Regarding the feeling sick part of it, are you eating heavy meals? It's recommended that you eat something light about an hour to 90 minutes prior to exercise. Another reason for it could be you're not breathing properly during exercise and the oxygen is essential to the muscles (could be part of the reason you're like jelly).

So, light meal an hour or so before commencment of exercise, plenty water (preferably throughout the day too, not just exercise time), and be aware of your breathing.

Keep with it, both symptoms do pass as you get fitter.

[EricaNurney]

Thank you Lakitu, it's nice to know i haven't really done much wrong. I wasn't sure about fluids before hand in case i gave myself a stitch. I did try to concentrate on my breathing, i guess it's just practise! I have no intention of giving up so easily, i'll definitely stick at it. Thanks once again :-)

[mattie]

When exercising, you need to warm up and warm down.

e.g set the cross trainer on its least resistance and use it for 5 mins, do 5 mins at higher resistance, and then 5 at the lowest.

This gives your heart rate time to slow down, before you finish the exercise.

[EricaNurney]

Thanks for that Mattie, I do warm up and down, one of the few things I do know, lol. There seems to be so much info telling you to exercise but nothing actually useful to tell you how to start apart from to take things slowly, how very helpful! Hopefully I'll trim down enough soon to be able to get to a proper gym without feeling so embarrassed. Thanks again.

[SRH]

I can go on a 10 mile hike up and down a mountain no problem but put me on a cross trainer and I wilt within five minutes! They seem to find muscles you never knew you had - irrespective of how much exercise you usually do. My advice is avoid cross trainers and stick to the treadmill till you are a bit fitter. Cross trainers can be a killer to use and will just demoralise you and make you not want to exercise!

And now the weather's better why not just get out for a walk - much cheaper too. Find something with a bit of up and down hill on grass and nice scenery - doesn't feel like exercise that way but does work wonders (especially for toning up backsides!)

[EricaNurney]

Thank you SRH, I don't feel quite so useless now, lol! I love walking but live in a built up city, I do get out to nice places at the weekend though. No wonder I got this trainer cheap off a friend, lol!