When I start working with clients, I always get really clear on what’s bothering them the most. And oftentimes, feeling worse with exercise is high up on the list.

Either they don’t have the energy to even start exercising or they feel absolutely depleted once they have completed their exercise.

They might experience things like cramps, extreme fatigue or pain, dizziness, and muscle weakness.

If you can relate, I know this is super frustrating because regular exercise is part of maintaining good health and is supposed to make you feel good.

But when it seems you are in a constant battle with your body when it comes to exercise, what do you do?

This is a sign from the body that there are imbalances inside.

Typically, it means that your sodium and potassium levels are low.

Exercise intolerance is similar to the check engine lights in our cars – it’s an indicator that there is something going on under the hood that we need to check out and address.

And it’s likely not the only sign you have.

If you deal with exercise intolerance, I would guess that you probably also deal with one or more of the following:

• abdominal bloating
• depression
• fatigue
• low blood pressure
• allergies
• constipation
• skin problems
• water retention
• slow metabolism

These are common issues when our sodium and potassium levels are low. They are your body’s way of telling you that it has some things to be addressed.

>>Low sodium is usually a sign that your body is dealing with a lot of inflammation through things like gut pathogens or food sensitivities OR has been under stress for too long.

 

Anytime our body is under stress, the sodium levels will go up. But over time, if the stress is still present, we burn through that sodium and our levels get depleted.

 

>>Our potassium is one of the first things that our body loses when we start to deal with imbalances. When our bodies are under stress, we start to lose potassium pretty quickly.

So you might be wondering, what the heck do I do if I am dealing with this so you can get back to feeling better and be able to exercise without feeling horrible during or afterward? Here are my top 4 suggestions for you:

1. Add in HEALTHY foods that are high in sodium

Sodium has always gotten a bad rap due to things like hypertension and heart disease…but not ALL sodium is bad.  Now, we don’t want to pour tons of table salt on our food, but we do want to eat foods that are naturally higher in sodium.  Foods to include are pickled veggies, sauerkraut, celery juice, beets, eggs.

2. Put a little salt in your water

You may have heard that athletes use salt tablets when they are cramping and dehydrated. If you are not tolerating exercise well, try starting your day with a glass of water that has a little bit of unrefined Celtic sea salt in it. If you think about it, you have gone at least 8 hours without drinking anything, so you are dehydrated.  Putting a little salt in your water is going to help you absorb the water you are drinking better.

Start with a pinch and work your way up to 1/4 tsp over a week or two. If you go too fast, it could stress out your stomach.

Do this as soon as you wake up in the morning.

Note – We want to use Celtic sea salt instead of Himalayan salt because pink salt actually has higher amounts of toxins and metals in it than Celtic sea salt. I get mine on Amazon – here’s the link.

3. Add in foods that are high in potassium

Because potassium is one of the first things to go when we start to lose minerals, we want to eat foods rich in potassium. Here are some suggestions: celery juice, coconut water, coconut milk, beet greens, avocados, russet potatoes (especially the skin) white button mushrooms, and tomatoes.

4. Test, don’t guess

Getting tested rather than just going through cycles of trial and error is going to speed up your timeline to success.

The test I recommend when someone is dealing with exercise intolerance is the HTMA, which is a hair test that looks at what’s going on in the cells with sodium, potassium, and so many other key minerals needed for being healthy.

Why a hair test instead of blood?

The problem with a blood tests is that blood is a transport system…As an example, potassium is supposed to be in the cell and not the blood. If we see a lot of potassium in our blood work, it means our cells are not holding onto the potassium. In these situations, doctors will frequently tell their patients to stop taking potassium…but really what this means is that the person is in desperate need of it.

That’s why it’s important to get the right labs run when you’re dealing with symptoms.

Not all tests are created equal or look at the same thing.

My clients who run the HTMA start to see a big increase in their energy, motivation and mood within just a couple of weeks of starting the protocol I recommend for them, and this is after YEARS of struggling.

You can get this test, my analysis, a full custom report that includes recommendations, and a 75-minute call to go over it all for just $297.

Click here to learn more and sign up.

With this test, you’ll get the answers you’ve been looking for and a targeted plan to start feeling better within just a few weeks…rather than just trying a bunch of things and hoping something works someday.

This work has been nothing short of a game-changer for my clients. And it can be for you too.

All my best,

Kim

PS – If you deal with symptoms and are ready to get some answers, then I encourage you to consider getting lab testing done and a customized plan for healing. If you deal with exercise intolerance, then the HTMA is definitely the way to go. It’s the most cost-effective lab test and provides a TON of insight as to the root cause of what’s going on in the body leading to your symptoms.

Check it out here and purchase.

Have a question? Click here to email me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!