The action of yawning involves opening your mouth and taking a particularly deep and long breath of air. Yawning is an involuntary action, and is highly suggestible -- if you see another person yawning, or even read the word "yawn" multiple times, it is quite likely that you will yawn. Excessive yawning during exercise may have one of several causes, and could indicate an underlying medical condition. If you are concerned by excessive yawning when you exercise, consult with your doctor for medical advice.
Oxygen
Yawning is one way your body responds to a lack of oxygen -- the long, deep breath associated with a yawn increases the oxygen supply to your blood via your lungs. If you are hyperventilating during exercise -- taking shallow, short breaths -- this may trigger your body's yawn response in an attempt to increase your oxygen levels. The yawn response can be triggered by excessive levels of carbon dioxide in your lungs, such as could be caused by shallow breathing during exercise. Even when you are exerting yourself through exercise, deep breathing is important to maintain your oxygen levels.
Stress and Fatigue
Yawning is a common and natural response to fatigue or stress. If you are tired, overworked or jet-lagged, this could be a common cause of yawning during exercise. Changes in your daily schedule can cause increased fatigue and therefore increased yawning before, during and after exercise. For this reason, it may be beneficial to organize your daily routine so that your exercise happens at the same time each day -- this way, your body is accustomed to your exercise regimen. Making sure you get sufficient sleep is also important to reduce your daytime yawning.
Exercise Intensity
The intensity level of your exercise may have an effect on the amount you yawn while working out. According to Dr. George Bubenik of Ontario's University of Guelph, quoted in 2001 by the University of Cincinnati News, yawning is reduced by brain chemicals including endorphins. Exercising more energetically increases endorphin release, thereby potentially reducing your yawning. Therefore, if you experience excessive yawning while exercising at a low intensity level, one way to stop the yawning may be to exercise more vigorously.
Warning
Excessive yawning may indicate an underlying medical condition which requires medical attention and diagnosis. MedlinePlus indicates that a vasovagal reaction may cause excessive yawning. This reaction occurs when the vagus nerve acts upon your blood vessels, and may indicate a heart problem as the cause of excessive yawning. In this instance, attempting self-diagnosis would be dangerous, as would ignoring the problem. Consult with your doctor if your excessive yawning during exercise causes you concern.
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