Coach Selby I’m Lightheaded
Because I have experienced it myself, too many times to count, I can see that face coming from a mile away.
“Coach Selby, what are you talking about?”
- Do you ever feel light headed during the workouts?
- Does your vision ever get blurry during a workout?
- Lastly, Do you ever get that empty stomach feeling that makes you feel like you are about to use the bathroom?
I’m sure many of you have experienced these feelings before, but there are some of you who experience this every workout or almost every workout.
Far too many times I see people only after the first round or first two minutes of the workout, looking like they have gone blind and can’t hear a single thing.
I walk up to them and ask, “When was the last meal you had?”
If it’s an evening class then the answer will be one of two things.
Athlete: “Last meal…. Ummm I guess dinner last night” OR “ I had breakfast, but nothing since then”
Both answers are unacceptable.
In order to feel better during your workouts and actually have the energy to attack them you have to eat.
Sounds way easier than it actually is. If you are coming to my 4:30 class and after the first round of a tabata you look like you just finished the last mile of murph, chances are you have not eaten all day.
It is important to have eaten a meal and at least a snack before you come to workout. Most of the time in the evening classes, people tell me that they were so busy they forgot to eat or didn’t have time. In a perfect world, if you are working out in the evening, you should have had breakfast, lunch, and then a snack before your workout. I promise your energy levels will be much different during the workout.
If you are working out in the morning, honestly, it varies. There are some 6am people who will be able to workout without eating anything. Probably because it is the closest time to the dinner they had last night. In my opinion, you should at least still have a snack, especially if it’s later in the morning.
All in all, don’t DOOM yourself in today’s WOD because you “didn’t have time to eat”. At least make yourself a ham sandwich (jk) (or am I) before you walk out the door so your body isn’t doing burpees on fumes.
And if you want LEARN how-to create energy balance with food, fitness, and recovery – check out the upcoming SOGO Challenge that focuses on creating successfully healthy habits!
