How to Use Exercise to Prevent Headaches

Headaches are among the most common ailments we face. Each day millions of Americans have some form of pain in the head, whether an intense migraine or just a dull throb behind the eyes. Most will resort to using an over-the-counter medication like acetaminophen to treat it, but that's just a temporary relief for the pain. The best strategy is to prevent them altogether, and exercise is one of the best ways to do it.

Instructions

• 1

  Use cardiovascular exercise as one of your main methods to prevent headaches. Jogging, running, swimming, inline skating and cycling help increase your heart rate and in turn decrease your blood pressure over time. Keeping your heart rate elevated for 20 minutes or more can help prevent headaches over time.

• 2

  Be sure to stretch before and after you exercise. This will help to prevent your muscles from tightening up once you've finished working out. Tension is one of the leading causes of headaches, so not stretching would actually make exercise counterproductive.

• 3

  Warm up slowly before you get to the heart of your workout. Performing intense exercise can be beneficial, but jumping right into more intense workouts can prove very detrimental in helping to prevent headaches. Start with simpler, lower impact exercises and then build intensity. Also, reduce the intensity gradually as well.

• 4

  Avoid exercise during or at the onset of a migraine. Exercise can actually increase the duration and intensity of a migraine. It is best to use whatever treatments your doctor has prescribed instead of exercise during these times.

• 5

  Drink plenty of water while you exercise. Being adequately hydrated will help keep your energy up as well as help flush your system of toxins that have built up. Dehydration is also a cause of some headaches, so introduce enough fluids into your system during exercise to prevent dehydration.