Is it normal to become dizzy when you stop the treadmill/get off the treadmill?

I've JUST started exercising, really for the first time in my adult life. I'm way overweight and generally sedentary, so I'm taking it slow to start until I build a little more endurance and confidence. Right now, I'm doing 30-35 minutes on the treadmill at a time, walking at a rate of 3-3.5 miles/hr. Pathetic, I know, but it does get my heart rate up and make me sweat. I do the 4-5 minutes of "cool down" at the end, with the rate progressively lower, but no matter how much I slow down I'm still quite dizzy when I stop the treadmill and when I get off. It goes away after a few minutes, but I've gotten dizzy every time.

I'm 32 years old, not on any medications, not dehydrated, not over-caffeinated (I have coffee in the morning and I go to the gym at night), I eat before going to the gym, and I don't have high blood pressure (or any other medical problem, other than being fat). Is it normal to get dizzy like this with a treadmill? Will it go away? Should I be concerned about it?

Thanks very much for any feedback!

No exercise is pathetic, no matter how fast or slow it is.

It sounds like you're in reasonable physical health, so you can either step it back a little bit (20 mins?)for a month or so (which I'd recommend...start slow) or wait out the dizziness. It's something I've experienced also and should improve if all the other factors remain equal.

To answer your question...NO..it's not normal. I would recommend wearing a heart rate monitor during your workout to make sure your heart rate stays within a healthy range. That's what I did when I first started walking.

Oh and I agree with the above poster...NO EXERCISE is PATHETIC!!! When I started out in September 2010 the only exercise I did was walking my dog for about 20 mins. I worked my way up to taking him to the park and walk/run. I was so out of shape (ex-smoker here), and my lungs were so shot, I could only run 30 secs, walk 2 mins and repeat for 20 min. I kept at it 6 days a week...and gradually increased my running time. Along the way, I suffered mild injury to my left knee...but took a few days off, did some reading about running injuries, took the necessary steps to prevent them in the future...and haven't stopped running since! I now run 19 miles a week!

Moral of this story...everybody's gotta start somewhere...congratulate yourself for every milestone!

I apologize for the 'pathetic' comment. I know it's not pathetic, I just feel that way next to all the exercise buffs in the gym (and here!). They're on the treadmills on either side of me, their legs moving more than twice as fast as mine, and they're barely breaking a sweat while I'm huffing my way through 30 minutes. I do know though that starting regular exercise, period, is an achievement.

Thanks to both of you for your feedback and advice. The treadmill has a heart rate monitor on it, and after I get going my heart rate seems to stay between 145-155, and by the end of my 5 minute cool down it goes down to about 125-130. I don't know how accurate that monitor is... but calculating my target heart rate right now, getting into the 150s is probably a little too high, correct? My typical resting heart rate is about 75-85 bpm.

My question would be how slow are you walking on your cool downs? When I first started on the treadmill, I was so dizzy getting off that I almost fell over when I got off. I talked to a few friends and they had the same experience when getting off the treadmill. For me, it's like when I've been on a boat a long time and then have to get my "land legs" back.

Are you a person that gets very motion sick like when riding in the backseat of a car? There seems to be a correlation to me.

At any rate, for the last 4 minutes of every treadmill walk I do, it's 2 minutes at 3 mph, 1 minute at 2.8 mph, and 1 minute at 2.5 mph. At that time - according to my heart rate monitor, I'm under 100 bpm and I don't get dizzy at all.

I only got dizzy on the treadmill when I first started if I over did it. I remember pushing it and walking for an hour and feeling so dizzy after. Maybe you need to slow down the speed some or do a little less for a while? I don't have the dizziness now unless I try running too long on it.

Also, the heart rate monitors and the calorie monitors on the treadmill are very unreliable. A heart monitor that you actually wear on your body would be more accurate.

I have always had a bit of dizziness/disequilibrium getting off the treadmill.
I thinks its getting off the moving vehicle! I feel like that after even a slow merry go round, moving sidewalks, even escalators.
I think it is a bit normal as long as you don't feel faint etc. It should feel better with sitting, rehydrations etc.

No, no it is not at all normal to feel dizzy while working out!

Here are a few guidelines and tips:
- what are you eating BEFORE you workout? your body needs fuel and feeling faint may be a sign you arent giving it enough! easy to digest carbs are the best for pre-workout food (with protein being the best for post workout food). Dont fall prey to that bs logic about needing to burn your own fat to make a workout worthwhile. It is terribly hard on your body to convert its own energy (vs food) to energy, and it cant do so quickly on demand.
- hydration. Make sure you are getting enough fluids.
- overheating. Sometimes I see girls trying to hide in a hoodie in a super hot gym, and I know they are sweating too much and overheating. Be smart about what you wear.
- binding clothing. Dont wear anything too binding as it inhibits circulation and can also cause you to feel dizzy.
- get your blood pressure checked before you workout. If you are prone to it being low, that may be the reason. Adding a little salt (or electrolyte drinks) can help.
- monitor your pulse/use the talk and walk idea if not. You should be able to carry on a convo while working out, not be totally breathless. Its best to monitor your heart rate, as someone else suggested, but if you cant, use the talk n walk thing

You are awesome for working out and no question is dumb. Let us know how things go!

Personally, I always feel a bit off balance (like my equilibrium is off) whenever I get off a treadmill, but it's not the same for me as light-headed dizziness (like you're on the verge of fainting). The sensation tends to pass after about 30 seconds to a minute of walking around.... For me, I think it's the change in peripheral vision, since everything stays stable when you're on the treadmill, as opposed to regular walking

YES - this kind of dizziness. I don't feel like I am going to faint, I feel like I might fall over. I feel totally fine WHILE walking (like I'm exerting myself, but not at all like I'm over-exerting), it's when I stop that I feel really off-kilter. And then I'm fine a few minutes later. I'm not prone to motion sickness (though my mother and sister are terribly afflicted by it), but come to think of it, it does feel somewhat like when I've spent an entire day swimming or on a boat. Like I'm unsteady for a bit once I'm backing on solid ground. It's definitely more severe with the treadmill than what I've experienced before (or maybe it's just so unexpected after just 30 minutes?), but if it's just that my equilibrium is off that is less worrisome to me.

I slow down a LOT during the cool-down - down 1.5 mph by the end of the 5 minutes. As to what I eat before I go to the gym, it's usually something substantial but not too heavy. Yesterday it was a sandwich thin with 2 oz. turkey, 1/3 of a zucchini thinly sliced, and 2 T. red pepper hummus, plus a big glass of water. I wear a pair of cotton capris, a tank top and a light t-shirt to the gym, and none are binding (other than the bra), so I think I'm ok on clothing. When I'm thinner I might consider shorts, but not yet.

I WILL get a heart monitor to wear; that sounds like a good idea.

Thank you very much to all of you for your feedback!! I really appreciate it.

I agree with this.

I've always had some sense of feeling "off-balance" after getting off a treadmill. I've run outside as well and not had the same experience. Regardless of whether I take the time to slow my heart rate down with a cool down (which I do always, now) I get that feeling.

It feels very much as though I'm moving faster than I actually am. It usually wears off anywhere from 30seconds to a minute after. I wouldn't be too terribly worried about it if this seems to be the case for you. I think that perhaps there are some people more sensitive to it than others. If you think it's something to be worried about, certainly adjust your exercise habits then.

I used to get slightly dizzy on the treadmill when I started working out a lot last January, and also when I got off. I also felt like I was on a conveyor belt when I got off.

I think you're fine. I thought it was weird too, but it went away.

I think it's fairly normal to have the treadmill equivalent of "sea legs" when you get off...it's just your body readjusting to the lack of motion under your feet.

It is not normal to be what is typically called "dizzy" - lightheaded, room-spinny, usually heart pounding.

Sounds like you have more of the first, and that's pretty normal. The second would be worrisome.

I tend to have the same issue when I get off the ellpitical, but it goes away in about 30 seconds so I'm not too worried about it. It is worse however if I have low blood sugar but that doesn't really seem to be your problem. I'd suggest taking it easy and seeing if gets better, but if it gets worse, definatly slow down a bit!

I've always had that problem when I stop the treadmill. What helps for me is when I get off, I step down, hold onto the treadmill, and stand holding onto it for about 20 seconds with my eyes closed. It almost resets me and after that I don't feel dizzy anymore. Its all about the equilibrium for me, because I do wear a heart rate monitor, and it happens even when I'm just on the treadmill for a walk, not a run.