Dizziness / Light headed feeling during workouts

[TRSTACIE]

Hi Cathe (or anyone else who wants to chime in!),

I have been working out with my neighbor who is 59 and is a bit overweight. We have been doing many of the X-Train workouts and twice now after weights towards the end of weight workouts, she has experienced a feeling like the room was spinning and that she was going to pass out. It comes on extremely suddenly and the first time really wiped her out. She also said that sensation because even stronger when she moves her head during these episodes. What could possibly be causing this? Could it be overexertion? Dehydration? Or could something more serious be wrong with her and the exercise exasperates the condition?

Thanks for the help!

 

[backer65]

Consider checking in with her Doctor

It might be a good idea for her to visit her doctor for an annual physical (if she hasn't had one in a while) and to discuss her current health as well as her experience working out including the dizzy spells. Like they say on many of the workout programs "check with your doctor before starting the program".

All the best,
-Michele

 

[Nanbo]

It might be a good idea for her to visit her doctor for an annual physical (if she hasn't had one in a while) and to discuss her current health as well as her experience working out including the dizzy spells. Like they say on many of the workout programs "check with your doctor before starting the program".

All the best,
-Michele

EXCELLENT ADVICE!!!

 

[TRSTACIE]

I forgot to mention that we didn't just start exercising together. We started 2.5 months ago and usually workout 5-6 times a week. We started out extremely slow with very easy workouts and slowly built up her endurance to where she is today. Other than these two isolated incidents, she usually feels great.

While seeing a doctor is good advice, I am wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what may have caused these two incidents.

 

[maddiesmum]

Sounds like very typical over-exertion to me. Been there, done that.

Xtrain is super advanced. Even if your neighbour has been working out for several months already, Cathe is as advanced as an instructor gets. Sounds like it's just too much for your friend right now.

Either drop back to easier workouts or shave off a third of what you have been doing with her on the Xtrain workouts. So, 1 tabata, no more. And Chest and back only, leave shoulders for another day.

If this doesn't take care of the problem, and it's not a question of her repeatedly working out on an empty tank which is causing these problems, then yes, a doctor's visit is in order. Likely as not though, a doctor is going to say, initially, the same as you read here.

Clare

 

[TRSTACIE]

I have often wondered about the empty tank aspect of it as well. We usually workout between 10:30 and 11:00pm because of my schedule. She usually eats dinner around 6 or 6:30pm. I have suggested to her many times to make sure she has a snack about an hour or so before we start. I think she does sometimes and other times she forgets.

She is no where near ready for many of Cathe's cardio workouts -- we use a ton of the shorter premixes to help build up her endurance in that area. Weights are different though because she just uses much lower weight values -- usually around a third or fourth of what Cathe uses. Oddly enough, we have done the same workout we did yesterday 3 or 4 times now without any problems. The only difference is she was using the stability ball for the first time vs the bench. She also went much lighter on the weights than she has been doing because the ball was a new factor. It could be over exertion though (which was my first thought) because our heart rate really spiked with the delt drop sets. It was shortly after that that the trouble began.

 

[carolyn122162]

Could be dehydration..My 14 year old daughter was experiencing the same symptoms recently. She plays tennis and while doing suicide drills during tryouts for her high school team, she blacked out right there on the court. Minus the embarrassment and road rash on her arms and shoulder, she was fine. We took her to doctor and her pediatrician referred us to a cardiologist. After all the tests were said and done, they concluded her heart is absolutely fine. What they did tell us is that dehydration causes your blood vessels to become weak and therefore cannot pump the blood back up to your heart/head fast enough. You either get really dizzy and lightheaded or pass out. I have really made her start drinking more fluids throughout the day and then some. It has made a big difference in her. She no longer gets the dizziness feeling. Have your friend increase her fluids to see if that helps.