Odd Ways Your Body Reacts to Working Out
Researchers have been touting the healthy side effects of exercise for years. Regular workouts can help you lose weight, boost mood, and live longer. But your daily workout can also have some strange—and pretty wonderful—side effects. From exercise-induced ear popping to the, uh, pleasures of a core workout, experts explain what’s behind your body’s weirdest physical reactions.
Yawning
Nobody really knows for sure why we yawn, let alone why some people yawn excessively at the beginning of a workout. Researchers used to speculate that yawning helps increase oxygen flow to your brain. However, a University of Maryland
Fix it: A little yawning at the start of exercise is nothing to worry about. However, excessive yawning could be a sign of an underlying heart and blood pressure issue and should be checked out by a doctor.
Passing Gas
Nothing interrupts finding your Zen like hearing a loud rip in yoga class—or trying to hold one in. It’s a bit embarrassing, but passing gas is actually quite common during yoga and other forms of core work, says Burron. Leg lifts, crunches, and other moves that target your belly and abs build pressure around your middle. Each time you contract the muscles around your internal organs, you up your chances of letting one loose.
Fix it: If this happens to you, rest assured that you’re not the first person to pass gas while doing Down Dog. However, to minimize the likelihood of cutting the cheese, stay clear of gassy foods such as dairy, beans, and broccoli.
Fix it: If this happens to you, rest assured that you’re not the first person to pass gas while doing Down Dog. However, to minimize the likelihood of cutting the cheese, stay clear of gassy foods such as dairy, beans, and broccoli.
Runny Nose
While some people notice that their breathing clears up when they exercise, far more complain about having a runny nose. “Exercise stimulates the part of your nervous system that controls the secretion of your body’s glands—including the mucus glands in your nose,” explains William Reisacher, MD, director of the Allergy Center
Running outside? That extra nasal drip may also be a reaction to pollen, the temperature, or outdoor humidity. In cold temperatures, your nose has to work harder at warming up the air, dilating your blood vessels and stimulating mucus production.
Fix it: To curb your leaky faucet, lighten up your routine or bring your workout indoors, suggests Dr. Reisacher.
Running outside? That extra nasal drip may also be a reaction to pollen, the temperature, or outdoor humidity. In cold temperatures, your nose has to work harder at warming up the air, dilating your blood vessels and stimulating mucus production.
Fix it: To curb your leaky faucet, lighten up your routine or bring your workout indoors, suggests Dr. Reisacher.
Coregasm
Here’s some extra motivation to exercise: A number of women report having an orgasm—or “coregasm”—while working out. But not just any fitness routine can trigger the big-O. As the name suggests, coregasms most commonly happen during an intense core workout, which may explain the wait for the Ab Roller at the gym.
While any moderate physical activity can trigger the release of feel-good endorphins and increase your blood circulation, core workouts, in particular, target the same muscles that contract during orgasm. “When you’re doing Pilates or Kegel exercises, you’re working your PC and pelvic floor muscles,” says Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD, co-author of The Orgasm Answer Guide. “It’s probable that feel-good feeling you get from contracting your muscles during core exercises can mimic those generated during genital-stimulated orgasms.”
While any moderate physical activity can trigger the release of feel-good endorphins and increase your blood circulation, core workouts, in particular, target the same muscles that contract during orgasm. “When you’re doing Pilates or Kegel exercises, you’re working your PC and pelvic floor muscles,” says Sara Nasserzadeh, PhD, co-author of The Orgasm Answer Guide. “It’s probable that feel-good feeling you get from contracting your muscles during core exercises can mimic those generated during genital-stimulated orgasms.”
Ear Popping
You’re not alone if your ears pop during your morning run or weightlifting routine. Ear popping occurs because your body tries to maintain equal pressure between the outside air and that inside your middle ear. When there’s a sudden shift in air pressure—say, when you’re ascending on a plane or diving into a pool—your body adjusts by moving air through your Eustachian tube, the part of your ear that connects your middle ear to the back of your nose. “The same thing happens each time your foot strikes the ground or you do a heavy lift,” says Dr. Reisacher. “Your body braces for impact and pressure is generated and transmitted to your ear.”
Fix it: Swallowing, yawning, and staying hydrated can help unplug your ears
Fix it: Swallowing, yawning, and staying hydrated can help unplug your ears
Hives
For some people, being “allergic to exercise” isn’t merely an excuse to stay on the couch. In very rare instances (less than 0.5 percent), working out can cause exercise-induced anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction that can lead to hives, flushing, and wheezing. Just a moderate bout of exercise can cause an episode, but most reactions need a food trigger as well.
“Exercise increases the permeability of your GI tract and lets more partially digested foods get into your circulation,” says Lawrence B. Schwartz, MD, PhD, chair of the division of rheumatology, asthma, and immunology atVirginia Commonwealth University
Fix it: If you know of a latent food allergy, be sure to avoid those foods at least 6 hours before you hit the gym, and carry an epinephrine pen with you. Taking a non-drowsy antihistamine like Claratin or Zyrtec also may help prevent an attack.
“Exercise increases the permeability of your GI tract and lets more partially digested foods get into your circulation,” says Lawrence B. Schwartz, MD, PhD, chair of the division of rheumatology, asthma, and immunology at
Fix it: If you know of a latent food allergy, be sure to avoid those foods at least 6 hours before you hit the gym, and carry an epinephrine pen with you. Taking a non-drowsy antihistamine like Claratin or Zyrtec also may help prevent an attack.
Heartburn
Mid-run you’re overcome by a burning pain in your chest. But don’t worry—it’s likely just an effect of your morning breakfast burrito.
Certain kinds of exercise, such as running or sit-ups, can push your stomach contents up into your esophagus, resulting in acid reflux and heartburn, says Edgar Achkar, MD, vice-chairman of the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. It makes sense, then, that the more jarring the exercise, the more likely you’ll feel the burn.
Fix it: Luckily, workout heartburn can be easily avoided. Stay away from dairy before you head to the gym and wait about 2 hours after every meal before hitting the pavement. If that doesn’t work, popping an antacid beforehand may help neutralize your stomach acid. But remember: If chest pain is ever intense or crushing, play it safe, stop exercising, and get help.
Certain kinds of exercise, such as running or sit-ups, can push your stomach contents up into your esophagus, resulting in acid reflux and heartburn, says Edgar Achkar, MD, vice-chairman of the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. It makes sense, then, that the more jarring the exercise, the more likely you’ll feel the burn.
Fix it: Luckily, workout heartburn can be easily avoided. Stay away from dairy before you head to the gym and wait about 2 hours after every meal before hitting the pavement. If that doesn’t work, popping an antacid beforehand may help neutralize your stomach acid. But remember: If chest pain is ever intense or crushing, play it safe, stop exercising, and get help.
Cramps
Exercise cramps can occur for any number of reasons: electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, ill-fitting shoes. Typically you sweat out far more water than you ingest during exercise, which can alter your body’s mineral concentration. Potassium channels control muscle contraction, so any imbalance could cause your muscles to cramp up.
Fix it: To avoid an inopportune charley horse, try snacking on a banana (a good source of potassium) and remember to hydrate before exercising, says Burron, and to drink 8 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout.
Fix it: To avoid an inopportune charley horse, try snacking on a banana (a good source of potassium) and remember to hydrate before exercising, says Burron, and to drink 8 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout.
Headache
Exercise can cause your heart and head to pound. As with yawning, no one knows for certain why exercise headaches happen, but researchers hypothesize that rigorous workouts cause the blood vessels inside your skull to dilate.
While anyone can experience an exercise-induced headache—some can last up to 2 days—this side effect is particularly common among men in their twenties. Part of this
may be due to the fact that men are more likely to lift weights and perform moves that can store tension in the upper back, which can lead to a pounding head.
Fix it: Still, a headache shouldn’t derail your workout routine. You most likely won’t get one from your daily jog, and warming up and staying hydrated go a pretty long way to prevent them, says Burron. Move your workout indoors during hot days, and pay particular attention to your breathing and form. If your headaches are persistent, talk to your doctor about using anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin.
While anyone can experience an exercise-induced headache—some can last up to 2 days—this side effect is particularly common among men in their twenties. Part of this
may be due to the fact that men are more likely to lift weights and perform moves that can store tension in the upper back, which can lead to a pounding head.
Fix it: Still, a headache shouldn’t derail your workout routine. You most likely won’t get one from your daily jog, and warming up and staying hydrated go a pretty long way to prevent them, says Burron. Move your workout indoors during hot days, and pay particular attention to your breathing and form. If your headaches are persistent, talk to your doctor about using anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin.
Incontinence
Find that your endorphin high gets dampened by, well, your wet shorts? About one in three American women has stress urinary incontinence, and running and other forms of more intense exercise can cause a leak at the most inopportune moment. While women can experience an episode at any point in their life, the likelihood of having an “incident” increases with age since pelvic muscles weaken over time and after pregnancy.
Fix it: To avoid this unintended side effect, try performing Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles or opt for a low intensity kind of workout, such as Pilates or yoga. There are also several types of surgery available to treat incontinence, so talk to your doctor about your options
Fix it: To avoid this unintended side effect, try performing Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles or opt for a low intensity kind of workout, such as Pilates or yoga. There are also several types of surgery available to treat incontinence, so talk to your doctor about your options