Avoid Exercise-Related Migraines
Talk about a double-edged sword. There are so
many benefits to exercising if you're prone to migraines. But for some
people, a sweat session can actually trigger one of these painful
pounders. On the plus side, "Exercise is a potent stress reliever, and
stress is commonly linked to migraine attacks," says Timothy Houle, PhD,
associate professor in the Pain Mechanisms Lab at Wake Forest School of
Medicine.
Whether
it's due to its ability to tame tension or some other benefit, regular
exercise has been shown in studies to both prevent migraines and make
those you do get less severe.
You should be able to get some comfort from that
if you get these headaches. Why? Because other aspects of exercise --
not the physical activity itself -- may be causing your headache.
"There could be other variables at play that
aren't managed well," says Lucy Rathier, PhD, clinical associate
professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at the
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. For instance, you may
not have warmed up or eaten properly or taken enough fluids before
working out. "I treated a runner once who kept getting migraines because
she wasn't well hydrated," Rathier says. But when she started drinking
enough water, her migraines disappeared.
If you've been avoiding exercise to prevent a
migraine, consider a workout routine that follows these tips. With a
little luck, maybe your headaches will disappear too.
Drink Up
Our bodies are 60% water. It's important to keep
them that way. If you deal with migraines, you're more prone to the
effects of not enough fluids. "Most people are not well-hydrated to
begin with, and when you add the stress of exercise, it can push you
over the edge," says Noah Rosen, MD, director of the Headache Center at
North Shore-LIJ Health System's Cushing Neuroscience Institute.
In one study, people who drank 4 more cups of water a
day than they normally did had 21 fewer hours of migraine pain during a
2-week period. They also noticed that their headaches weren't as bad.
To be sure you're well hydrated, check your urine.
If it's consistently colorless or light yellow, you're most likely
drinking enough. Dark yellow or amber-colored urine is a sign you need
to drink more.
Talk with your trainer or doctor about other ways,
such as weighing yourself before and after exercising, to know whether
you're getting enough fluids.
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