Post-migraine exercise?

ratellcm
ratellcm Posts: 164 Member
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

Experienced my first ever (and thus worst ever!) migraine throughout last night. Head still hurts this morning, and I feel really slow. I did walk to work at 6:30am which was okay, except at the points when I had to jog across streets. I had planned to exercise after work.

Anyone here that gets migraines... how long does it usually take you to bounce back? Any suggestions on exercise or activities that won't jostle my head too much, or do you usually lay low?

Thanks, xo.

Replies

  • timadotcom
    timadotcom Posts: 653 Member
    BUMP- Thank God I do not get these, but my friend and my husband get them constantly so I want to see what others say about this.

    Thanks for the post Ratellcm
  • scarletleavy
    scarletleavy Posts: 841 Member
    I've been suffering from terrible migraines for almost 10 years now. My worst ones can last 1-2 days. I find that cardio exercises are the worst post-migraines, so after I've had one I try to stick to some kind of weight lifting or just take it easy for a day or so. Less full-body motion is definitely better, anything that avoids "bouncing" the head is always best for me. Sometimes Yoga is a really good post-migraine workout for me, other days the inverted poses just make me feel way worse. It's really a personal thing. I'd suggest trying some things out and hopefully you'll find something that helps you.

    Hope you feel better!
  • CarolynB38
    CarolynB38 Posts: 553 Member
    I usually can't exercise for a couple of days after but luckily I only get them a couple of times a year now. You need to make sure you drink plenty of water and just listen to your body. Walking is probably the best exercise until you feel stronger and possibly gentle stretching. Do what you feel comfortable doing but definitely don't push it. I hope you recover quickly :flowerforyou:
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    I suffer regularly from migraines. I usually get a few throughout the year, but over the past month and a bit I've had one more often than not. I find doing any cardio exercise makes it worse, so I usually wait until it's completely gone before returning to my normal routine. It's not ideal, but it's better than the alternative...
  • tdoerr2
    tdoerr2 Posts: 89
    It usually takes me a full day to recover completely. It depends on the length for me. The longer the migraine the longer the recovery for me. If I try to do too much to soon it flares back up. But I am sure everyone is different. Hope you feel better soon. Take it easy for awhile.
  • meg7399
    meg7399 Posts: 672 Member
    I see a neurologist for my migraines and even take preventive meds. Mine cluster together so usually mine last for 4-5 days which means no exercise for 5-7 usually. Its the worst feeling ever...I would rather break my leg again or have my wisdom teeth removed again rather than get these! Best of luck. I will tell you that a migraine is when vessels in the brain expand and then throb on other sensors in the brain which causes the pain. Ice packs help wonderfully as they reduce swelling in the brain and lessen the pain.
  • tebbs915
    tebbs915 Posts: 130 Member
    I suffer from "menstrual related migraines" -- so I usually get them once a month, and they last for 3-4 days. During that time, I'm usually stuck in bed (dark, silent places) until they begin to subside. I rarely take meds for them because I don't believe in pumping my body full of drugs, so I suffer through them. With that said, I usually wait a couple days until I feel 100% before working out. But I will walk a couple miles on the days I feel "OK".

    Good luck. It's all about what your body tells you. Drink plenty of water, and don't push yourself.
  • ratellcm
    ratellcm Posts: 164 Member
    Thanks for the advice everyone! I probably will just stick to walking today, home and to get groceries. It's going to feel like -13C in Calgary today, what a day to be pushed outside! ;)
  • ratellcm
    ratellcm Posts: 164 Member
    Ended up sleeping with a bag of frozen peas on my head... now I have to eat all the thawed veggies! :P Guess this day will sort itself out..
  • feebeesue
    feebeesue Posts: 3
    Have dealt w migraines for years, much better now. Here's what I've learned: If they reoccur, see your doctor and don't give up til you find meds that work. Many good meds that won't knock you out. I was able to continue my day teaching after taking my meds, if I took them soon enough, although I wasn't feeling good til after some good sleep. Figure out your triggers. As soon as you notice an aura, sparkly spots, extreme thirst, take your meds! I discovered a few years back that if I drink a gatoraide 2, low calorie, as soon as I recognize the unusual thirst and mild pain, it will usually stop the migraine. Do NOT elevate your heart rate when you have a migraine. Migraines effect the blood vessels in your brain! Afterwards, stretching seems to help. I never exercise until I feel 100% as I don't want a rebound migraine. I find I need a good amount of quality sleep before I'm normal. If I try to push on thru with to much activity without going to sleep when the pain is really, really bad, I end up at the ER with my blood pressure thru the roof, as the prescription meds do not help at this point. Eat well, watch for swings in your intake of these: sugar, salt, cheese, processed meats, alcohol, chocolate, lack of protein or water and stress. These are common triggers/contributors and effect everyone differently. Use your food/exercise log to see if you notice anything unusual that occurs within a day of the onset. There is hope! You've got to do some detective work. (I used to get migraines 2+ x per month that each lasted 2-3 days. Now maybe once every 3-5 months with much lower severity.)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories