Trying to exercise in the morning but I feel sick

I have tried to exercise in the morning a few times now, everyone says its better to exercise in the morning - I have tried biking and walking but every time I feel sick because I have been told that you should not exercise on top of food, that you should leave it an hour after food for exercise and I don't have time to eat, wait an hour before heading out. Any tips?

Replies

  • Exercise when it works best for you, not when "everyone" says it's best. The key thing is to exercise.

    With early morning workouts I eat afterwards. I also feel sick if I eat first. If I'm starving when I wake up I might have half a banana first but generally an empty stomach works best for me.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I can't workout in the morning or even remotely fasted. And some people can eat and then workout fairly quickly. Maybe try a snack or a protein shake 30 minutes prior.
  • heidio2
    heidio2 Posts: 110 Member
    I think you should just try different combos and see what works best for you. As long as it's not an excuse to not work out. (Only say that because sometimes I am known to do that and I'm working on it myself.) You'll figure out what is optimal for you and then you will be consistent and that's better than inconsistently working out and feeling sick. Good Luck!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    There's nothing wrong with exercising after eating. In fact, I probably wouldn't make it without eating first. I just can't do it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    My daughter gets very ill if her stomach is empty for too long. She has crackers or a snack bar first. I hydrate before my run, take my first round of vitamins. But that's me. I'm decidedly a morning person.

    If you have better energy at noon or in the evening, move then.
  • runwithtoppa
    runwithtoppa Posts: 50 Member
    Everyone is different, what works for one wont work for the other.

    Personally, I feel sick at the thought of breakfast whether I have a work out due or not. I also feel sick if I work out with any food in my belly. It slows me down and gives me heart burn.
    So a run first thing with an empty stomach, is perfect for me.

    You should just try a few different methods to see what works best for you. Don't feel like you have to follow others, just because they say it's best, or it works for them. You are not them, you are you :)
  • andyluvv
    andyluvv Posts: 281 Member
    I try and do my 10k steps everyday - but with a very sedentary job at the moment (callcentre attendant) it means heading out early in the morning and walking 30 minutes to get to a station further up. I ALWAYS do it on an empty stomach otherwise I'd feel sick. I try to time my eating schedule so my body knows when to expect food.

    So I wake up, have a huge bottle of water or squash, walk all the way to the station. I get to work at about 8 (we're currently on training) and then have my breakfast at our break usually around 9/9:30.

    That works for me, maybe you could give it a try :)
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
    If I try to workout in the morning, my effort is garbage. I feel weak and tired and can't seem to get over it to put in the effort I want to for a good workout. The number of reps I can manage is much lower than if I workout later. I never workout before 11am, and never within 90 minutes of a good sized meal.

    As others have said, play around with it a bit, and see what works for you.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    My morning workouts are almost always terrible also. I workout at lunchtime typically and that works fine. OP, find what works best for you and ignore all the advice you've heard. That's all 1%-level stuff. 90% of it is just doing the exercise.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    Do what works best for you. I am at my best fasted. But I'm also teaching myself how to perform well on food.
  • lmlilly
    lmlilly Posts: 22 Member
    I get up early to run and bike. I don't eat until my workout is done. I would feel sick if I ate beforehand.