Have you ever experienced dizziness in exercise class when you lied down, rolled over, turned your head quickly or stood up quickly?

Or maybe you have seen someone else complain of dizziness in exercise class? Perhaps it even disrupted the session?

Did you feel like your instructor knew what to say or do? How to respond?

I have heard from many fitness professionals, pilates instructors and group exercise leaders that their clients often complain of vertigo or dizziness in exercise class.

They expressed a lack of understanding of the cause of these complaints and a lack of confidence in how to respond to dizziness symptoms when they arise during an exercise session or group class.

The truth is that the appropriate response to dizziness in exercise class varies based on when the complaint arises, what the symptoms are and how long it lasts, so the answer is not simple.

In the past, I have offered training for the San Diego County Feeling Fit Instructors on preventing falls and managing complaints of vertigo and dizziness in exercise class. 

If you felt dizzy during an exercise class, you may need to take a rest break to “wait it out.”

If you feel light-headed, you may need to eat some food due to low blood sugar or drink more water due to dehydration.

You may be having some issues with your breathing, heart rate or blood pressure if you feel dizzy during more intense exercise, so I suggest you report the situation to your Primary Care physician.

Another possible cause of dizziness in exercise class when you turn quickly, lie down or roll over is BPPV. In that case, Vestibular Rehabilitation physical therapy would benefit you.

For more information on symptoms that may accompany dizziness in exercise class and may require immediate medical attention, check out my blog on Vertigo Emergencies.