If the morning is your power time, chances are you roll out of bed and hit the ground running. Early morning can be an excellent time to exercise, before the phone calls, mail deliveries and other stresses of the day come in to distract you. However, it's important to take time to listen to the cues of your body, to reduce the feeling of nausea or sickness that can come from pushing yourself too hard.
Hydrate your body. After sleeping eight or more hours, your body is dehydrated and your blood sugar is low. Even if you're not working out, you should be drinking a glass of water right when you wake up to increase your blood volume and get your blood flowing. This will help reduce dehydration and prepare your body for the exercise ahead. Also remember to stay hydrated throughout your workout. The Mayo Clinic recommends 2 to 3 cups of water in the two to three hours before you work out, and 1/2 to 1 cup every 15 or 20 minutes during your workout. Continue to hydrate after the workout.
Eat breakfast that contains carbohydrates at least one hour before your workout. The Mayo Clinic recommends whole-grain cereals, fruit smoothies, juice, bananas, granola bars or low-fat milk to get in some quality calories and carbohydrates before you begin exercising. If that's not possible, drink a sports drink to get your blood sugar back to normal.
Prepare the night before. Ideally, you'll be able to get in some type of breakfast before you go straight to working out, but if you can't, give yourself some fuel to store overnight. Sports nutritionist Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., recommends a cup of hot cocoa just before bed as a way to store energy through the night.
Eat a bigger meal after you work out, to help your muscles recover. According to the Mayo Clinic, the post-workout meal should contain protein and carbohydrates. Choices could include a sandwich with whole-grain bread and meat or nut butter, cheese and crackers, nuts and dried fruit, or yogurt and fruit.
Watch your exertion level. If you've tried the other steps and you're still feeling sick after you work out, you may be pushing yourself too hard for your fitness level. Decrease the intensity of your workout, then work slowly to increase the intensity over time.
Consider motion sickness. According to Military Fitness trainer Stew Smith, some people get motion sickness when doing exercises such as abdominal crunches, because the eyes are focusing on different points in the room. To avoid this problem, select a point such as a window or a piece of fitness equipment and keep your gaze on that point throughout your routine.
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Writer Bio
Nicole Vulcan has been a journalist since 1997, covering parenting and fitness for The Oregonian, careers for CareerAddict, and travel, gardening and fitness for Black Hills Woman and other publications. Vulcan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism from the University of Minnesota. She's also a lifelong athlete and is pursuing certification as a personal trainer.