Are your workouts making you sick?

Have you experienced nausea while working out? If so, it is a good idea to check with your physician to see that everything is okay. The cause could be a reaction to toxins being released in the body at a faster rate than they can be properly disposed of.

High intensity exercise can act like a furnace to bacteria killing the bacteria and releasing large quantities of toxins into your bloodstream. At the same time this type of exercise can release toxic stress chemicals stored in your fatty tissues. This places a toxic burden on your immune system albeit temporarily, which is why improving nutrition in the first weeks prior to these workouts and doubling hydration afterwards is critical.

This condition of detoxification during intense exercise is referred to as a ‘healing crisis’. The body is working hard to eliminate waste products through any and all channels so it can return to normal levels.

These symptoms usually present in the first few weeks of an exercise program. About 2-4 days after a very severe session you may feel horrible, like you’re coming down with the flu. But these symptoms are part of your body processing out toxic burden, impurities and imbalances.

In more serious situations, you may go through small crises like this for a longer duration, cleansing out the toxicity and restoring the purification process of stored waste by-products from high intensity exercise back into a free flowing state. For these more serious conditions, I strongly suggest working with an endocrinologist and/or naturopathic physician.

Nausea is just one of a variety of reactions that may manifest during a healing crisis. Other reactions may include the following:

·         Arthritis

·         Joint Ache

·         Cramping

·         Diarrhea

·         Headache

·         Nausea

·         Congestion

·         Fever

·         Chills

·         Rashes

·         Hives

·         Fatigue

·         Restlessness

·         Insomnia

·         Moodiness

·         Rage

·         Anxiety

Hydrate before and after each workout session. To calculate your individual requirement, multiply your weight by 14.8.  The result is the amount of fluids in millilitres your body requires on a daily basis.  Add one liter of fluid for each hour of exercise.  This includes all beverages as well as moisture in foods, which accounts for about 20% of total water intake. Juice and herbal tea may help you flush out these toxins.

In addition the following will help expedite your elimination of the toxicity: sleep, bowel movements / enemas, acupuncture, massage, steam baths, dry saunas, soaking in Epsom salts, lots of green veggies, naps, and if necessary, skip your next workout session.

To reiterate, see your physician for a check up. This article is not a replacement for doctor’s advice. It could be something that was dormant or not noticeable until you trained intensely. Be safe and have yourself checked.

Overcome unnecessary discomforts and get back to enjoying the benefits of challenging workouts.