I remember once when I was still living in the UK I was at a hairdresser who started chatting to me and after finding out that I was a personal trainer, she told me that some time ago she was one as well. Among a number of crazy stories, she told me that she would always make her clients throw up. "If you don't throw up, it means you are not working hard enough." - she said. I thought that was ridiculous but kept agreeing with her because that woman was crazy and was holding scissors dangerously close to my face.
I was stunned! How could there still be personal trainers around, who still believe that smashing your body so badly that you have to vomit could be good for you and teaching their clients this stupidity?
What is it?
To quote the Queensland Government's website post: "Vomiting is the body’s way of protecting you from threats. When it detects a harmful substance or something irritating, your body actually thinks you’re being poisoned. The body’s natural reaction is to rid the body of that threat, causing it to expel the contents of the stomach."
And to specify exercise induced vomiting here is a quote from the Atlantic: "The risk for vomiting from extreme exercise, specifically, comes from working so intensely that the body can’t get enough oxygen to fuel its muscles, leading to a build-up of the waste product lactate." Now, why would you put your body through this pain?
Why does it happen during workouts?
The two most common reasons for exercise induced nausea are eating too soon before workout and being dehydrated. Experts recommend having a full meal at least 2-3 hours before a workout. It's also recommended to drink plenty of water before, during and after workout to ensure adequate hydration levels.
Obviously, sometimes it can happen and it's normal. Sometimes you can start feeling nauseous during exercise. The thing is - don't do it on purpose. Don't chase it. You do not need to be throwing up every workout in order to lose weight and get fit. Remember that you have 1 body and be kind to it. You should enjoy exercise, not be suffocating, nauseous and dizzy. Obviously, it's good to feel the muscle burn during your workout but you know that this is a different kind of "pain".
When you feel nauseous your personal trainer's job is to make sure you ease down and take a break until you feel better. Maybe bring you water, sit down next to you, be supportive and be ready to get help if needed. If you tell your personal trainer that you feel nauseous, and they continue pushing you further, maybe you need to "kick them to the curb".
And as always, thanks for reading!