Migraine

Ok guys, I am having a little issue with the exercise bit. I know that we are to get at least 3 hours a week. But, I have to ask, how long until it is supposed to help the pain ?

When we get regular exercise, isn't there something about increasing endorphines to help fight off the pain?(correct me if I am wrong) Well how long does it take for it to start helping? I try and try for weeks to get in all that exercise. But, not only can it EASILY worsen my head pain, but I lose my motivation when I go all that time and it doesn't help.

I actually like to exercise most of the time. My christmas present when I was 16 was a treadmill and I loved it, lol. But now, between the everyday pain and work, I can not find the energy or motivation to continue with it. I know, I know that's aweful, Lol, I get the lectures from my doctors.

I am really bad about getting in a routine and then just stopping for a few weeks. I just kind of give up on it. I know that exercise can be a trigger for a lot of people, so how do you guys keep up with it when its a trigger? Just do it, get a headache, and then treat the headache? That seems to be my path to follow.

I am in the mode of not wanting to do it right now. Although, I am trying to force myself. I took the dog for a walk yesterday (pathetic exercise, but what can I say?) This is probably just another one of those things that we are supposed to just do and deal with it, huh, lol? If you guys have any answers or suggestion, that would be great!

Alaura,

I'm at the same place with exercise that you are right now. When I first quit my job because of my Migraines, I was able to go to the gym on the days when I had no head pain and it didn't trigger a Migraine. But, then I started a new preventive that left me tired and worn out all day and I lost my motivation.

I bought a Wii and then got the Wii Fit and that thing is fantastic. Frankly, I was surprised by the work out you get from using it. I used the Wii for a while but then my Migraines increased again and I fell out of that routine too.

Once my Migraines settle back down, I plan on scheduling a time to go to the gym two days a week and treat it like I would a doctor's appointment and make myself go.

In the meantime, I use Teri's advice in this article:
10 Ways for Migraineurs to Sneak in Some Exercise

I hope it helps to know you're not alone in this struggle

Hey there,


Have you tried a stationary bike? There was a small study done that found Migraineurs could do this kind of exercise without increasing their head pain. In fact, I wrote an article on it you can find HEREand we have an Ask the Clinician question on this topic you can find HERE

Laura,
thanks. it does help to know that others feel like that too. I always felt bad that my doc would tell me thats what I needed to do. I would feel lazy when I couldn't do it. I have hear a lot about the wii fit, i may just look into that. to both of us getting the needed motivation, lol.

Nancy- I had never really thought much about a bike. In fact we have one that's put away. Looks like its time to dig it out and give it a try. Thanks for the links.
Alaura

Alaura -

the others have given you some good suggestions for exercise - and though walking the dog may feel pitiful really anything the gets you moving is good for you, compared to Not moving! I also have a very hard time getting motivated, between head pain, fatigue, and the meds making me feel yucky.

It's worth trying, though, and keeping at it! On days where I feel really lousy I think, if I can just stay on my feet and fold some laundry - or do a little housework - that counts for my exercise. When I feel a little better, I add more in. 10 minute walks can do a lot for you, and some exercise studies show that 3 or 4 10 minute walks have as much benefit as one long work out in a day!

I don't know the answer to how long it takes to make you feel better, it's one of those things like getting in a regular sleep pattern and eating on a regular schedule that when you add them all together, they help to calm your nervous system down and can help decrease your Migraines over time. But you're not likely to see an immediate cause and effect kind of thing. I do know that when I don't get enough exercise for a week or so I definitely see an increase in my head pain - so I may not notice the good effect as much, but I notice when it's missing!

Hope this helps!

- Megs

Thanks megs
Its good to hear from someone that it really does help in time. I never thought of beaking up the exercise to smaller time frames but just more of them. Thats something i can do even on bad headache days. I didn't realize that it calms down our nervous system, thats kind of fasinating. Thanks

Alaura -

Yeah, well as one of the Migraine doctors told me (can't remember which one!) - our Nervous systems want us to have really boring lives - doing the same thing at the same time every day, and doing all that stuff that's supposed to be good for us in a well-balanced, healthy life. They (our Migraine-prone nervous systems) don't like variation, stress and extremes much. So you know exercise raises your serotonin levels, which is good for your brain and helps you feel better generally, so if you can do it regularly it's just one part of that regular, boring, healthy living thing your nervous system craves!

- Megs

Wow, interesting! That must be why my doc said to make a routine and stick with it, to schedule everyday the same way, well at least to the best of my ability. It makes sense, now, lol.

Alaura, I also have the problem that vigorous exercise can trigger Migraines for me. I've found that the more low-impact types of exercise are best for me. Specifically, I mean things like tai chi or yoga (though I have difficulty with yoga because I can't do the inverted poses - they also trigger Migraines).

My herbalist recommended to me that I try Nia dance, which I started in February. While it doesn't necessarily have a direct effect on my head pain, it does contribute to my healthy lifestyle, and allows me both to fit physical activity and release stress in a way that doesn't usually aggravate my head.

If you're like me and had never heard of Nia, here is a description from the founders' website:

quote:

What is Nia?

Nia is a workout, lifestyle and personal growth program. More than a physical fitness or weight loss program, Nia is a way to condition, heal and transform your body, mind, emotions and spirit. Nia is a system that blends Eastern and Western movements, concepts and philosophy derived from three main movement forms: Martial Arts (mindful precision), Dance Arts (personal expression) and Healing Arts (self-healing). The philosophy of Nia is based on the pleasure principle: If it feels good, keep doing it; if it hurts, stop and adapt what you do to feel better.

If this sounds interesting to you, you can find a lot of information about it HERE, or I'd be happy to answer any questions.

MJ-
Thanks. I actually do have a question for you. Is this something you do with a class, or do you learn to do it yourself at home? I love just about any and all types of dancing. I find it rather fasinating, but that doesn't mean i can do it at all, lol. I have wanted to at least try to learn how. I live in a pretty small town, though. I have never heard of this, so I wouldn't really have a group I could join. LOL, and I am not too sure that a class would want to see me dance! It does seem like it could be fun and something different as far as exercise.

Nia is something done with a class, though they also have DVDs available for sale. I will say that I took various dance classes for 12 years when I was younger, and Nia is my favorite of anything I've ever taken. It's much less concerned with proper form than many other dance styles, and focuses on being in touch with your body and what feels good. It's the only kind of dance I've ever been able to do with my eyes closed - I just feel the music and don't worry about what the instructor is doing. (She encourages this!)

Nia is a great form of dance for people who don't know "how" to dance or are physically limited. It can be very gentle or very exhilarating, depending on how much energy you have that day. I would highly, highly encourage you to look into it if you're interested. I found classes in my area by Googling "Nia dance" and my city. (I'm fortunate to live in a large city so I had some options.) If you go to NiaNow's website ( http://www.nianow.com ) you can look up classes through there, too. They also have videos and stuff if you'd like to get a preview of what it's like.

If nothing else, you could always buy one of their DVDs and try it out at home.

MJ-
Thanks for the info! I really am not a 'class' kind of person. But it sounds great. I will at least look into getting a dvd. In fact, I will look into it on my lunch break tomorrow (I am heading to bed very very shortly). I will ahve to let you know what I decide . Thanks again, and I am glad you found something you enjoy so much!