Cheers
April 28, 2024
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Exercise helps fight headaches

A recent study has shown that regular exercise can help lessen headaches and even migraines. The results of research by neurologists at UFSC and Unifesp show that people who do not exercise have 43% more migraine and 100% more headache compared to those who practice physical activities.

Because of this, it is possible that when you visit your doctor to treat your migraine or chronic headache problem, you may end up with a prescription for exercise. But after all, why can exercise help combat these pains?

When you move around in a physical activity, your body releases endorphin. Endorphin is a hormone that promotes the feeling of well-being and, thus, acts as a "natural morphine", ie a natural pain reliever.

Thus, if you exercise often, you are less likely to suffer from headaches and migraines than a sedentary person.

Other benefits of physical activity include the release of epinephrine and steroids that may also help lessen pain. In addition, physical activity promotes blood circulation, which causes increased oxygenation in the brain and consequently decreased headache.

Exercises that help ease headaches

We list the physical exercises that have the most effect on reducing headaches and migraines, check out:

Walking;
Swimming;
Low impact racing;
Stretching;
Yoga;
Pilates;
Dance.

Aerobic exercises are the most influential in reducing headache, while relaxing help because of the well-being that the person provides. An interesting option is to combine aerobic exercises with relaxing exercises and benefit from the best of each.

However, the activity to be done should be chosen and performed with the help and supervision of a physical educator so that you do not harm your health in order to reduce these pains.

It's also important to be aware that doing physical activity once a week won't make much difference. To benefit from these practices, the frequency must be at least two to three times a week, lasting between half an hour and one hour.

These are rarer cases, but it is also possible that physical activity triggers migraine attacks. Therefore, it is essential to consult a neurologist as well as a physiotherapist to find out what are the causes of pain and confirm if the practice of physical exercise can be beneficial in your case.

Remember that balanced diet and an adequate sleep rhythm also help to reduce the chances of having a headache and migraine attacks. So nothing to self-medicate without knowing exactly what is best for you. It may be that a simple gym three times a week will help, so it's worth investing in a more active and less sedentary lifestyle.