Training and headaches: what to do right away
For some people, training can set off a headache simply because the warm-up was skipped or the stomach was empty. The good news: in most cases you can lower the risk with a few simple tricks, without having to give up exercise.
The core message of the old M&F Hers article was simple: a headache doesn’t always mean workouts are off the table. It means your body is signaling that the training load rose too sharply, that you’re low on fluids, or that your neck and shoulders are tense.
Why training can bring on a headache
Almost 28 million Americans suffer from migraine every year, and for some of them physical activity can be one of the triggers. That doesn’t make training the enemy. It just shows that training load, pace and preparation matter more than they might seem at first glance.
The original text pointed to studies suggesting that women with higher levels of nitric oxide in their bloodstream may be more prone to headaches. Nitric oxide is produced in the blood vessels and helps them widen. When the training load arrives very suddenly, this can provoke a headache in a sensitive person.
An important detail: intense exercises, even lasting less than 30 seconds, can trigger a reaction in some people. That’s why a sprint, a heavy set, a sudden jump or a very strenuous stretch of effort can make your head pound, even though the workout itself has lasted only a short time.
Honestly, this is a familiar scene in many gyms. Someone comes straight from work, has drunk little all day, skipped a meal and goes right into a heavy set. The body can’t keep up. Your head starts to feel pressured, your eyes feel heavy and the workout turns unpleasant.
How to finish your training without a headache
The first rule is simple: don’t head into a workout on an empty tank. Merle Diamond of a Chicago headache clinic said that skimping on fluids and food can lower the migraine threshold and make a person more susceptible to attacks. In other words, if you’re already tired and dehydrated, the training load can be the final push.
Eat something before training that won’t sit heavily in your stomach. It doesn’t have to be a big meal. Sometimes ordinary food some time before the workout, plus water throughout the day, is enough. The goal isn’t to stuff yourself, but to give your body a steady start.
Second, warm up for about 10 minutes before training. This helps you avoid a situation where the body has to leap from a calm state straight into a heavy training load. A good warm-up raises your heart rate gradually, gets the joints moving and signals to the nervous system that work is about to begin.
Third, don’t end your workout as if flipping a switch. A moderate cool-down can reduce tension in the neck and shoulder muscles. These are exactly the areas that tighten up in many people when a set is heavy, the breath is held and the shoulders rise toward the ears.
Practical tips in the gym
If headaches tend to appear at the start of exertion, look at your pace first. Start more calmly. Your first set doesn’t have to be the heaviest of the day. If you’re doing barbell, machine or dumbbell exercises in the gym, use a lighter weight at the start and let your body settle in.
Breathing matters too. A headache can get worse if you hold your breath during exertion. On some heavy reps this happens almost unnoticed. Try to keep a rhythm: breathe out during the effort, breathe in during the easier phase. Simple, but it works.
If you feel your head starting to ache right at the beginning of the workout, ease off for a minute or two. Take a few deep breaths. According to Diamond, this can relax the muscles, increase the amount of oxygen in the blood and help break the headache.
So what actually happens? You give your body a short pause before the pain builds up. That isn’t giving up. It’s a better decision than ignoring the pain and hoping it will pass on its own.
Also watch for repeating patterns. Does the headache come only on a hot day? Only in a leg workout? Only when you’ve slept badly? Clues like these help you work out whether the cause is fluids, a sudden jump in training load, tense muscles or something else.
If the pain is new, very severe, comes on suddenly or comes with a vision disturbance, weakness, confusion or another unusual symptom, don’t try to fix it with a stubborn push through the workout. In that case it makes sense to see a doctor. A headache may be harmless, but not always.
Training and headaches: FAQ
Can you work out with a headache?
With a mild, familiar headache, calm movement may suit some people. If the pain is severe, gets worse with exertion or feels different from usual, skip heavy training.
Why does a headache appear right at the start of a workout?
Often the cause is a sudden training load, low fluids, an empty stomach or tension in the neck and shoulder muscles. That’s why a warm-up, a calm start and proper breathing are so important.
What should you do if your head starts to ache during a workout?
Slow down for a minute or two, breathe deeply and move more lightly. If the pain doesn’t subside or seems dangerous, stop training and seek medical advice if needed.
Author: joker
Source: WHO – physical activity.
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