Your vision gets blurry, you see spots, wavy lines or flashing lights, you feel tingling in your arms or face, and 20 minutes to one hour later you experience a nearly unbearable throbbing pain on one side of your head. You feel nauseated and cannot handle light or sound. It is likely the remainder of your schedule for the day will be affected by this debilitating migraine headache. If this sounds like an all too familiar occurrence, there is good news. Exercise may aid in relieving the pain associated with migraine headaches.
Aerobic Exercise
According to MayoClinic.com, regular moderate aerobic exercise will help ward off migraines by reducing tension. Walking, biking, swimming or most other modes you may choose will suffice, as long as you warm up slowly to reduce the risk of a sudden exercise-induced headache. The primary goal is to increase your level of endorphins, a chemical in the body that is linked to pain relief. However, exercise may worsen your headache if performed during the attack. So stick with a regular cardiovascular workout three to five days each week for reduced frequency, intensity and duration of migraines, but opt out of this method when experiencing an attack.
Yoga
Like aerobic exercise, yoga should not be performed during severe migraine attacks. Performing some poses at the onset of an attack or during a mild attack, though, can help decrease the pain by relieving tension. ABC-of-Yoga.com offers a sequence of poses that may be used to prevent frequency of migraines and decrease intensity at the onset. Baxter Bell, M.D., suggests to "Yoga Journal" that poses placing the head below the heart should be avoided during any headache, as they may worsen the severity of the pain. He stresses that consciously inhaling and exhaling deeply with proper technique is key to decreasing migraine pain.
Relaxation
Relaxation and meditation are encouraged by MayoClinic.com in the prevention and treatment of migraines. Breathing techniques and mental focus exercises are among the top choices, and they can be learned through books or tapes at home or by attending a class. During an attack, focus on your muscles and alert yourself to any unnecessary clenching or tightening of your jaws, shoulders or other muscles in your upper body, neck or head. MigraineTreatmentTips.com suggests touching your right ear to your right shoulder while keeping your left shoulder low. Hold for a few seconds, and then rotate your head slowly to hang in the front. Repeat on the other side. In addition, regular exercise that relaxes the body and mind, such as gardening or yoga, will help the muscles remain relaxed and keep migraine pain at bay.
Warnings
Pay attention to the signs your body is giving you. If a particular exercise worsens migraine pain, discontinue that movement immediately. Always warm up and cool down before and after exercise, as sudden starts and stops in movement could increase pain.
