3 Ways to Avoid the Misery of Exercise-Related Migraines

Exercise is highly valuable and is a great way to lift your mood and keep fit. For some people though a round of exercise can end up triggering headaches and migraines. If you suffer from exercise related migraines, check out these tips on how they might be avoided.

Woman exercising

Warm Up and Start Slowly

Warming up is vital for any exercise regime. However, it is even doubly important when you are looking to prevent migraines after exercise. When you warm up properly, you help the body work up to an active level. This can prevent muscle soreness which is a good cause of migraine. After you have warmed up properly, start the exercise slowly. Many experts believe that migraines happen when the body reacts to shock of sudden activity. This is why care must be taken to ensure slow easing of the body into any exercise regime.

Stay Hydrated, Choose Low Impact Routines and Eat at the end

When dehydrated, the body will respond poorly to all kinds of stress. Drinking enough liquid during and after exercise will therefore significantly reduce the chance of experiencing migraine. Similarly, you should consider dropping strenuous exercises for some that will be of lower impact. Strenuous exercises force the blood vessels in the head to dilate so you should consider changing up your routine from time to time. At the end of your exercise, eat a full meal within an hour of exercising. The meal should include proteins and starch in other to raise your blood sugar levels back to normal.

Take some medication, keep a regular schedule and cool down

Before you begin exercising, consider taking some preventative medication like ibuprofen. If this is not effective, consider moving to a stronger medication as approved by a doctor. A good tip is to try taking some glucose tablet before the exercise. This is effective if the cause of migraine is a drop in blood sugar level during the exercise. Additionally, it is important to avoid random stops and starts with your exercise routine. If you quit a program midway, there is a high possibility that the episodes of migraine will be more frequent when you resume.

Towards the end of your exercise session, consider tapering off slowly so as to prevent shock to your system.

If your migraine continues to worsen, it is best to seek medical help. There could be an underlying condition causing it.