Living With Exercise-Induced Headaches

Have you ever experienced exertion headaches during or after working out? Or, if you're a trainer, have you ever dealt with a client experiencing them? How do you handle that? Does that mean this person shouldn't work out at all?

First of all, what are exertion headaches?

Exertion headaches are typically related to strenuous bouts of activity, and those who suffer from them find it difficult to exercise for significant periods of time at sufficient intensities. These headaches are also known as "primary" exercise headaches, meaning that underlying neurological issues have been ruled out. "Secondary" headaches, on the other hand, may be the result of a more serious condition.

If you experience headaches during or after exercise, see your doctor to rule out potential underlying issues, and also whether or not there's anything in particular you should avoid. If all is well otherwise and it’s been determined that the sole cause is the physical exertion itself, you likely have nothing serious to worry about. And don't assume all is lost and subsequently resort to never exercising. Keep reading!

Studies tend to show exertion headaches occur most often after weightlifting and distance running. What's also interesting is that the duration of the exertion headaches seem to mirror the duration of the exertion, not necessarily the intensity. In Williams' and Nukada's study, exertion headaches tended to last longer after prolonged aerobic activity, whereas those occurring after shorter bouts of weightlifting or sprinting resolved sooner.

Other triggers that seem to result in longer-lasting exertion headaches:

• Fatigue

• Low blood sugar

• Extreme temperatures

• Lack of proper hydration

• Insufficient warm-up

• Certain pharmaceutical agents (see image below)

The key to avoiding debilitating exertion headaches is to work proactively toward prevention. Here are some tips:

• Avoid vasoconstrictors (i.e. caffeine, antihistamines, high levels of alcohol, etc) as these can unnecessarily increase blood pressure...

• Get enough rest so that you're not overly fatigued...

• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration...

• Maintain healthy blood sugar levels for proper fuel and energy...

• Ensure you're getting enough Magnesium as hypomagnesemia has been linked to exercise-induced migraines...

• Stay cool to avoid heat exhaustion...

• Implement a proper (and possibly extended) warm-up...

• If you find longer aerobic workouts (such as distance running) trigger your exertion headaches, shorten those workouts and scale back a bit on the aerobic activity...

• For resistance training/weightlifting, take it slow and consider doing smaller increments at a time. For example, use lighter weight or bodyweight and perform a set of 10 reps, rest a while, come back later and do another set of 10 reps, etc. If that seems to work for you, then perhaps the next week you can try 15 reps at a time, and so on.

I hope this helps and don’t forget- listen to YOUR body. Take this information, experiment, and find what works for YOU. Don't just let this be an excuse as to why you "can't" exercise.

Keep shining!

Your trainer and coach,

Kandis