Is it OK to exercise on an empty stomach?

Many people do not eat before exercising. Especially for those who are in the weight loss period, they believe that exercise can consume body fat. If they eat before exercise, it will increase the exercise time. Actually, no, exercising on an empty stomach is not good for our health. Because exercise consumes a lot of calories, it is easy to feel weak if there is no food to replenish energy. However, eating should also be completed 1 hour before exercise.

1. Do not drink a lot of water during and after strenuous exercise

During strenuous exercise, salt in the body is excreted along with a large amount of sweat. Drinking too much water will reduce the osmotic pressure of the blood, disrupt the body's water and salt metabolism balance, affect the body's normal physiological functions, and even cause muscle spasms. When exercising, you need to increase your heart rate and breathing rate to increase blood and oxygen to meet the needs of exercise. Drinking a lot of water will cause the stomach to swell and fill, hinder diaphragm activity, and affect breathing; the blood circulation rate increases, which increases the burden on the heart, which is not only not conducive to exercise, but also can damage the heart.

In addition, drinking a lot of water can reduce the concentration of gastric acid and affect food digestion. Drinking water after long-term and extensive exercise can easily cause stomach problems.

2. Do not exercise after eating

After a meal, more blood needs to flow to the gastrointestinal tract to help digest food and absorb nutrients. If you exercise at this time, blood will flow to the limbs, hindering gastrointestinal digestion, which will lead to disease over time. The blood pressure of weak people will also drop after a meal, which is called postprandial hypotension, and they are prone to falling when going out. Long-term post-meal exercise can easily lead to appendicitis. Do not engage in sports such as swimming after drinking.

3. Exercising in inappropriate locations can cause harm

Since the basic function of exercise is to take in a large amount of fresh oxygen from the outside through breathing to meet health needs, you must choose a good location before exercising. Flat and open places with fresh air, such as parks, river beaches, and stadiums are the best.

4. Don’t exercise when you are in a bad mood

Exercise is not only a physical exercise, but also a mental exercise. When you are angry or sad, don't go to the playground to vent.