Yawning is a natural and involuntary action that provides oxygen to your lungs and bloodstream. Seeing another person yawn, talking about yawning or looking at a picture of someone yawning can cause you to yawn. Yawning during a workout may be due to fatigue, boredom, low oxygen levels or a more serious medical problem. If you experience excessive yawning during your workouts, contact your doctor.
Oxygen Levels
Your body often responds to a lack of oxygen by yawning, taking in a deep breath to increase your oxygen levels. If you are breathing rapidly or taking shallow breaths during your workout, you may yawn to replenish your blood oxygen levels. It is important to practice controlled breathing when performing aerobic exercise to avoid depleting oxygen levels and excess carbon dioxide in your blood and lungs. Avoid holding your breath, and practice controlled breathing, when performing strength training exercises.
Fatigue
Yawning is a natural response to fatigue and stress. People often yawn early in the morning and before bedtime. Early morning or late night workouts may trigger a yawn due to being tired. Yawning can also occur in response to a change in your normal schedule, such as changing the time of your exercise routine. Getting at least seven hours of sleep every night and scheduling your workout at the same time each day may reduce yawning during your workout session.
Regulating Temperature
An article on Canada.com reports that yawning during exercise could be your body's response to a rise in brain temperature. When brain temperature rises due to stress levels from lack of sleep or exercise, your body's natural reaction is to sweat in an attempt to cool down. Yawning, which improves heart rate and blood flow, may help balance your brain's temperature. The cool air you breathe in when yawning may also help regulate brain temperature.
Intensity
Intensity level may be the reason for yawning during your workout. Yawning may indicate that your workout isn't vigorous enough. Dr. George Bubenik of the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, reports that brain chemicals, or nuerotransmitters, including nitric oxide, serotonin and dopamine, may cause yawning. Bubenik also states that certain chemicals, such as endorphins, may reduce yawning. Working out at a more vigorous level produces endorphins and may help stifle a yawn.
Excessive Yawning
Excessive yawning during a workout may indicate a more serious medical problem. If you experience excessive yawning a regular basis it may be due to a vasovagal reaction, an action of the vagus nerve on the blood vessels. This reaction may be caused by an unidentified heart problem. Seek medical attention for a proper diagnosis if you're unsure of the cause of yawning during your workout.
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