Yawning involves widely opening your mouth and drawing in a deep breath of air. The process of yawning is involuntary and often catching, meaning you're likely to yawn if you see someone else yawn. Frequent yawning while exercising may be caused by a variety of issues and sometimes indicates health problems. If you experience frequent yawning during exercise, contact your physician for professional advice.
Oxygen
Yawning is often your body's response to lack of oxygen. The deep breaths you take when you yawn improve oxygen supply to the blood through your lungs. As you exercise, you often take short, shallow breaths, which may cause frequent yawning. This often indicates that your breaths aren't deep enough to supply your lungs and blood with the oxygen they need during vigorous exercise. Make an effort to breathe deeply during strenuous exercise to maintain healthy oxygen levels.
Fatigue
A common cause of yawning while exercising stems from exhaustion, jet lag and being overworked. Yawning is your body's natural response to exhaustion or fatigue. Changes in your daily routine may increase fatigue and, in turn, increase yawning during exercise. To reduce yawning when you exercise, organize your daily schedule in such a way that exercise occurs at the same time every day. Doing so allows your body to become accustomed to your exercise schedule. In addition, make an effort to get at least seven hours of sleep each night to reduce yawning throughout the day.
Intensity Level
Yawning during a workout may be eliminated through a more strenuous routine. Dr. George Bubenik, M.D., of the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, reports that yawning is caused by neurotransmitters, or chemical compounds, such as serotonin, dopamine and nitric oxide, in the brain. Chemical compounds such as endorphins, however, reduce yawning.
Since exercise increases endorphins, exercising vigorously could potentially reduce yawning. If you experience frequent yawning while exercising at a low- to moderate-intensity level, try exercising at a vigorous level to decrease it.
Warning
Frequent yawning during a workout could indicate a health problem such as a vasovagal reaction, caused by action of the vagus nerve on your blood vessels, according to the "The New York Times." Such a reaction may indicate a heart condition as the cause of frequent yawning. Consult a medical professional if you suspect a heart condition due to frequent yawning. Other medical issues such as diabetes, adrenal conditions, depression and severe insomnia may also cause excessive yawning during exercise.
Member Comments