If you are finding that you develop consistent headaches or migraines, the answer may be in your workout, or more importantly, how you are working out. It is actually quite common to get a headache a few hours after exercising. This is due to the fact that sudden stress on your body, in the form of a too-extensive workout, releases nitric acid into your blood stream.

This causes your blood vessels to dilate and can lead to a very painful migraine, or at the very least, a bad headache that will hang around for a few hours. The good news is, there are many ways that you can ensure that you remain headache free after your workout.

The key is avoiding sudden, heavy exercise. This is the main culprit when it comes to post workout headaches, but it isn’t the only one. Whether you are first starting out on a workout plan or you are already exercising, it can be very tempting to overdo. Always remember the 10% rule when it comes to exercising. Never add more than 10% of your usual reps or activity.

You need to work into a new routine slowly, giving your body time to adjust. Even if you are already used to a heavy workout, you can’t go from stop to full out quickly, without experiencing some problems along the way. In addition to dealing with headaches, this is also very bad for your joints and muscles and can lead to injury.

In addition to pacing your workouts, you can also break up your routines if you find that you are still getting headaches afterwards. For example, if you are planning on exercising for thirty minutes in one day, you can change that to three sessions, each lasting ten minutes. Studies have shown that breaking up your workouts doesn’t render them less effective. In fact, you’ll be getting pretty much the same benefit that you would from doing all of your exercises at once.

Working on cardio exercises can also be beneficial over the long term. You’ll be helping your heart and your blood vessels will be in better shape. If you suffer from chronic headaches that are not workout related, getting into a cardio routine may be just what you need, provided you take it slow.

Proper stretching can also cut down on after workout headaches. Focus on relieving stress and tension in your neck muscles and slowly stretch them after your workout. We recommend working with a personal trainer at least once to learn which neck stretches are right for you.

Last but not least, if you already have a headache, you may want to reschedule your workout. While light exercise may help relieve a slight headache, it will only make a bad headache worse. If you find that you have constant headaches, regardless of your exercise routine, you may want to seek the help of a physician to determine the cause and get treatment.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-09-22 05:51:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• How to Stretch Properly Although most of us recognize that we have to stretch before we exercise there is a lot of confusion out there about how to actually go about it. If you’re not stretching the right way, you could actually be setting yourself up for an injury. Here are some great tips......
• The Rice Diet Solution This is one of the oldest diets that is still followed today, and thousands of people swear by it. There is a clinic in North Carolina for those that really want to take this diet to the next level, but the rest of it can get almost the same benefit......
• Exercise Anywhere You Go The best way to benefit from weight loss and exercise is to make it simple. When you make small, regular changes, they will actually add up to much more serious weight loss improvement than what you would achieve by making too many changes at once. There are a wide variety......
• 5 Steps to Cool Down the Right Way After Exercise When most of us finish our workout the only thing we want to do is stop and relax. However, if you suddenly go from working out to sitting like a lump, you are increasing your chances for injury and post-workout pain. Just as you warm up before you exercise with......
• Making Winter Fitness Plans As summer winds to a close, it’s time to start thinking about what you plan to do to keep fit over the winter. If your current exercise plan requires you to be outdoors, or if you live in an area where extreme temperatures or weather events make it hard to......

Related Websites

• Top 4 Reasons Why We All Need Personal Planners We want it all. We want the latest flat screen TV and fashions. We want to be the Super Mom, Dad, Spouse, CEO and tri-athlete all at the same time. Oh Yeah, we want a clean house as well. We want so much we try to fit it into......
• Learning Proper Pilates Breathing Correct breathing is absolutely vital when it comes to making sure that you are getting a good flow of oxygen into your lungs. Life-giving oxygen is capable of cleansing the blood stream while energizing your entire body. As babies we are capable of breathing naturally and correctly, as we age......
• Re-establishing an exercise routine I recently went to the doctor for a full physical for the first time in three years. I waited so long because I always had something “more important” to do: busy with a new job, Bubelah was pregnant, Little Buddy had arrived. If you have a newborn at home, you......
• Is it Time to Get a Mammogram? Because breast cancer is so prevalent these days, it is vitally important that you get a mammogram often, which generally means once every one to two years once you are old enough to start having sex. It is vitally important that you begin to take care of your health now,......
• How To Tell if You’re a Exercise Addict Exercise is one of the key ingredients to keeping fit and healthy as well as eating a healthy diet, all the known benefits of it are healthy heart function, lower cholesterol levels a general overall feeling of well-being and more energy than if you didn't do any. But what if......

Online Stores

• Heavy Metal Magazines Comics Collectibles
• Recumbent Exercise Bikes Cardiovascular Equipment Gym, Workout Yoga Exercise Fitness
• Jump Ropes Fitness Equipment Gym, Workout Yoga Exercise Fitness
• Heart Rate Monitors Monitors Pedometers Gym, Workout Yoga Exercise Fitness
• Benches Strength Training Gym, Workout Yoga Exercise Fitness

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.

Time the change your life? No longer content to live a sedentary lifestyle and revel in couch potatoism? Click here to download the 31 page the 100% FREE eBook "How to Lose Weight and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle."

Categories:

exercise, hydration, injury, moderation, wellness

Tags:

benefit, blood stream, blood vessels, body time, cardio exercises, chronic headaches, culprit, exercise, headache, heart, joints, migraine, muscles, new routine, sessions, shape, sudden stress, workout plan, workouts