Vomiting during PT session - did she push too much?

[chutzpahchick]

My 15 yo isn't too fit so she has joined a gym as she made one of the teams at school and I paid for some sessions with a PT.
She had a trial session yesterday. Half way through she comes out and vomits everywhere. The PT didn't seem bothered at all, said it's because she's not fit and that she hadn't pushed her hard.
DD doesn't want to go back to her (which is fine) but I'm wondering whether this IS normal, never having had PT? I've had physio after a broken leg and exercises were always built up slowly. Also did C25K and never felt it was too much.
But maybe I'm missing something and it's normal to vomit like that? (DD hadn't eaten for a couple of hours before so it wasn't that the food just came up). We might try another PT if DD isn't too put off now.

Several PTs I have worked with, and a couple of gym-goer friends, have mentioned vomiting due to working out. But it is not by any means a regular occurrence. I have on one or two occasions felt slightly nauseous and not always when I am pushing my very hardest. I always stop if that happens as I have no wish to vomit all over the gym.

If your daughter is not coming down with an illness which may explain this then at the very least she should be advised to tell a PT if she starts to feel sick. I don't think anyone wants anyone to get to the vomiting stage.

It's happened to me when I've drunk too much water and then done burpees.

I've felt sick when exercising really hard but never vomited. It's not unusual as such, I've seen it in the gym a lot

Bless her, she must have been embarrassed. A more sympathetic PT who can build her up gently would be good.

She’ll probably be sore for a few days, it’s not abnormal or anything to worry about, just DOMS. Gentle exercise (like a walk) can help.

I have felt sick when exercising hard and I mean going all out but never actually been sick. But I so scared of being sick I will not eat before working out just in case
It is not massively usual I do sometimes see someone run out of hiit class with hand over mouth getting to the toilets as quickly as they can so they maybe get the same but ate before working out

I think you need to find a kinder PT. The target here is building a love of exercise and improving her wellbeing for life, not pushing so hard in one off sessions that she's sick and never goes back!

Sometimes the men would go dashing out of the emergency exit at the 9am Saturday morning circuits class after overdoing Friday night 🤢

If you're feeling well, it normally takes a lot to work out to sickness level, and most people don't. I've occasionally gone light headed and rested/ eased off if it's been a bit too long since I ate.

The personal trainer's attitude doesn't sound encouraging at this stage when it's easy to be put off.

So DD has been massively put off now. Says she'll do it her own with YouTube videos. Ugh. Hope she keeps the motivation up.

“We ain’t leavin’ till we’re heavin’.” It happens. Most of the people I train with have worked out their eating schedule so that they are less likely to chuck up and if someone does chuck up they get a round of applause as well as sympathy.
I can imagine that your DD would be put off but it’s unlikely that it will happen every time and in fact it’s not that common.

It is fine I used to be sick sometimes doing athletics training at school

I'm not surprised, your poor dd.

I train hard and do sometimes feel sick after something very intense (and if with my PT, he checks I am OK). But on a first session, someone just getting into it - and a child!

I am not surprised she has been put off but hope you can persuade her to try something in person again in time - videos all well and good if you know what you are doing, but if you don't progress may be slow, which is demotivating as well. Maybe a class, a new skill, or a different PT with a very different approach?

I think it’s being normalized but it’s not normal. Your body isn’t benefiting from that; it’s a toxic culture that has infected some sports communities. I don’t know why some sports trainers have an empathy bypass. Your poor DD is a child still. Was the PT even insured to work with that age/DBS checked?

I used to do a class called Grit Strength which was tough, and I really pushed myself. Sometimes I’d have to go and stand next to the bin for a minute because I thought I was going to hurl (but never actually did). So yes, when you really push yourself to your limits, it can be normal to feel or be sick, but I’m not surprised your DD didn’t enjoy the experience. Hopefully she will find a way of working out that she enjoys.

It is pretty normal to be honest, at least in running. I often thought I’d be sick doing hill sprints. I had a friend who did serious running and I used to try and persuade him to share a milkshake before training and then he’d vomit during training for sure. I was really mature.

I'm a PT and that's a sign that what she was doing was too much for her. It's not uncommon and athletes and people used to heavy training might find it ok. For a beginner though it's not right and I would hate to have a client vomit. She needs a much kinder, thoughtful PT who responds to her individual needs.

Your poor DD, not nice and would put anyone off. My teen DD is a gymnast does 14hrs Strength & conditioning a week has never been sick nor have her fellow gymnasts that I’m aware. They are a really friendly club with several British champions. They are very strong, flexible and fit. Sounds like you need a different PT more suited to teens?

Neither of us can go to the gym for at least 4 hours after eating and we don't exactly go full out. It's too much pressure on the stomach if there's anything in it - it also likely explains just why I hated PE lessons first thing or after lunch, but was OK with them after break or when I got older and started skipping breakfast.

Sometimes people chug too much water beforehand or at the start of their session as well, which has pretty much the same effect.

It's likely to be a combination of loss of fitness from school holidays, too soon after breakfast and maybe too much fluids beforehand.

When you say unfit, how unfit is she? Most 15 year olds will cope with quite a lot just because they’re young, unless you mean she’s extremely unfit or overweight.

I workout and do a lot of running. It’s definitely reasonably common to feel sick or be sick when you push yourself. If she’s really unfit, it may not have taken much to do it. I’d say the trainer should have known if she was struggling and toned it down a bit, if your daughter is put off exercising, that’s defeats the purpose. But sometimes it’s down to what you’ve ate and drank or lack of warming up.

Encourage her to stick with it, even if that means changing to someone else. I can’t imagine it’s much fun being unfit as a teen. Well done to her for getting on a team.

That's ridiculous, I run and have made myself nearly vomit from extreme exertion but that should be rare and certainly not what your daughter should be doing. Tell the trainer that it's counter productive to push her so hard she won't go back, ge them to agree to go a bit easier on her or find a new trainer. Once she is fit and is enjoying exercise your daughter may enjoy pushing herself to her limits but that isn't going to help her get fit now.

It depends on a lot of factors. Yogurt before a workout makes me super sick as does mint (like a mint chewing gum or mint drink).

Your daughter could be sensitive to something like me or she could have over exerted herself. She needs to learn her limits and speak up if she's feeling dizzy/unwell

I don't think the PT has done anything wrong

It is normal to feel sick when pushing very hard. I also need the loo. It’s the body’s way of getting rid of excess weight to allow greater exertion when under stress. Our systems haven’t caught up with the fact we are no longer running from sabre toothed tigers. As she gets fitter and stronger it will happen less, and I would question if it is advisable for her to be pushed to the limit that early on in her training. I used to feel sick when doing Jillian Michaels but now I’m fitter and stronger it doesn’t happen anymore.

It might reassure your daughter to know that for a lot of people the nausea will stop as they get fitter. She’ll ask become more used to how her body behaves when exercising and able to stop before being sick. This might encourage her to go back to the gym in after sometime doing home workouts. It might also be worth reminding her that she doesn’t have to do always what she’s told. Maybe in a class setting she’ll feel less watched and more able to go at her own pace.