Exercise-induced Headache? You’re Doing It Wrong!

By Mahak Arora - Updated: October 31, 2018

In this Article

Reasons For Post-exercise Headaches and How to Avoid Them

Regular exercise usually lessens migraine and headache. But, sometimes it can actually become a trigger for headaches. Understand what you need to do to prevent pain and keep up your fitness. You’ll be surprised with what you could be doing wrong.

Getting headaches during exercise is very common despite the fact that the activity releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. If you’re experiencing them when you work out, you could be doing something wrong.

Reasons For Post-exercise Headaches and How to Avoid Them

1. You Miss Your Warm-Up Session

Don’t miss out on warming up before you begin exercising. Starting with a high-impact exercise or even a medium-impact workout can give you a headache. You need to walk, do a slow jog or stretch for 5-10 minutes prior to the workout. Once you’re done with the session, make sure you cool down. This will lower your heart rate gradually and allow blood to flow smoothly to your heart.

2. You Don’t Focus on Your Breathing

Balancing breathing is another vital step to keeping headaches at bay. Anaerobic workouts and yoga, in particular, require proper breathing patterns. You don’t need to hold your breath every time you perform such activities. Just make sure you’re breathing through your nose. Inhale slowly and deeply to feed oxygen to your muscles. High-intensity workouts when done too fast without proper breathing may be triggers for headaches.

3. You Don’t Stay Hydrated

Are you drinking enough water when you work out? Staying hydrated before, during and after exercise is a sure-fire way to stop headaches after a workout. Dehydration can be a reason for frequent headaches that can grow intense once you’re done. A dry mouth and a thirsty feeling can be an indication of fluid deficiency, and if you don’t sweat while exercising, you’re definitely dehydrated.

4. You Don’t Eat Sufficient Food

Skipping breakfast, low water intake and lack of sleep can all give you exercise-induced headache. A pre-workout smoothie or a bowl of fruits can help lessen it. Aside from headache, poor nutrition can also result in muscle cramps and poor tissue mobility. You should have a source of energy while your blood level drops when you work out; munching on a protein bar is a superb idea before you begin exercising.

5. Your Posture is Wrong

Sometimes, a headache may be solely because of poor posture. Pushing your head and shoulders forward excessively can cause pain as the muscles at the back of your neck are strained, and may get inflamed. Likewise, when you do crunches incorrectly, it can strain your neck. The next time you hit the gym, follow the instructor’s guidance.

What causes headaches after working out or during working out depends on a number of reasons. Learn to kick them and reap the maximum benefits from exercise. Working out improves your endurance and strengthens your organs so don’t give up on this healthy habit. Instead, know how to exercise, eat well, drink enough water and see just how much you gain from it. If your symptoms still continue, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention. If the pain decreases but you feel weak and dizzy, you need to see your doctor.

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