Does Exercise Trigger Migraine Attacks? 15 Tips for a Pain-Free Workout

Exercise can help prevent migraine, but there are important considerations before you get your blood pumping.

I’m an active person, and love challenging myself with different ways to stay moving. From yoga to pole dancing to CrossFit, I’m willing to try it all — and I’ll probably love it!

However, I’ve also had migraine off and on since childhood.

I’ve learned that staying active helps reduce the frequency and severity of attacks, but certain approaches to exercise can actually trigger them.

After much trial and error, I’ve come up with ways to modulate my workouts to keep my head happy and pain-free. Here’s how I do it.

Join the free Migraine community!

Connect with thousands of members and find support through daily live chats, curated resources, and one-to-one messaging.

Sign up

1. Let your body know what’s coming

There are a million-and-one ways to work out, but no matter what style of exercise I’m doing, I start off slow.

When I take the time to warm up by stretching and slowly increasing my intensity, my body has the chance to adjust to a raised heart rate, changing body temperature, and increased blood flow. 

On the other hand, when I throw myself head-first into a hard workout, especially high intensity training or weightlifting, my head responds in kind with pain, throbbing, nausea, and more. 

2. Slow and steady wins the race

I also pace myself throughout the workout. A good rule of thumb for the average workout is to go to about 80% of your effort threshold. For a migraineur managing symptoms, that number may be even lower.

In other words, play at the edge of effort and ease.

Don’t let anyone tell you that your workout doesn’t count if you’re not putting in 100% effort. That kind of strain can lead to injury, let alone a migraine attack.

3. Hydrate with more than just water

Hydration is essential throughout the day, not just before and after a workout.

However, I’ve found that hydrating with water alone isn’t enough to replace lost minerals and electrolytes after a good sweat.

Some electrolyte and mineral-rich options include:

• coconut water
• sports drinks
• powdered hydration mixes
• Pedialyte

My favorite powdered hydration mixes are Trace Minerals Power Pak Citrus and LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix in Citrus Salt. Both are sugar-free and taste delicious.

You can also make your own electrolyte beverage easily with a bit of juice and salt.

4. Consider supplementing with magnesium

Electrolytes and minerals are essential for proper hydration, but this mineral is particularly important for reducing tension and the pain that goes with it.

A 2022 review suggests that people with migraine may have lower levels of magnesium compared with those without.

A 2021 study found magnesium oxide and valproate sodium supplementation to be effective migraine preventives without significant side effects.

It’s important to talk with your doctor before supplementing with magnesium to see if it’s right for you. Magnesium can lead to side effects and even overdose.

5. Keep sweating to a minimum

When you sweat, you lose more than just water. You also lose essential minerals — like magnesium — that may be the key to preventing a migraine attack.

Instead of letting yourself get to the point of sweating profusely, keep a steady glisten going along your brow. If you see any dripping, dial it back!

6. Don’t workout after eating

Just like skipping meals can trigger migraine, working out when full may make an attack more likely.

While there isn’t much research discussing whether working out on a full belly triggers migraine, there’s plenty of research both on exertion headaches and headaches after eating.  I’ve personally found that working out with a full stomach can lead to an episode for me.

This may be because exercise pulls energy and blood flow away from the digestive tract and into the extremities, making digestion less efficient. This competition for blood flow may trigger a migraine episode.

I try to give myself 2 hours between a meal and a workout, but more realistically, at least 30 minutes can be enough.

7. Skip the stimulants

Coffee is a hotly debated topic in the migraine world that may help some and trigger others.

However, coffee can block the absorption of magnesium from the intestinal tract. Magnesium absorption decreases the more coffee you consume.

Caffeine can also lead to general nutrient depletion and block the absorption of calcium, iron, and B vitamins.

8. Don’t hold your breath

This is one of the simplest but most commonly overlooked workout tips there is.

Holding your breath can cause all kinds of issues during exercise, including:

• headache
• dizziness
• increase in blood pressure
• hernia
• lightheadedness
• nausea
• heart attack
• loss of consciousness

Proper breathing during exercise can reduce carbon dioxide production, improve circulation, and maximize your workout load.

Some believe holding your breath can improve exercise outcomes, though evidence suggests it does not.

Instead, try deep breathing, which can lower blood pressure and create a calm, stable environment for your workout.

9. Check your posture

Correct posture is important to prevent injury, especially when you’re bearing weight. This is especially true if you’re prone to migraine.

According to a 2024 study, people with migraine have an increase in forward head posture and kyphosis, or spinal curve, compared with people without migraine.

Think about aligning your hips, spine, head, and neck during your workouts and keeping bent knees slightly behind the toes so you don’t overextend. There are also exercises you can perform to improve your posture over time.

10. Stay right-side up

Going upside-down can be a fun, perspective-altering way to exercise. However, for migraineurs like myself, it often spells an impending episode.

I’ve also experienced a post-workout attack after using a glute-ham developer (GHD) machine for back extensions, after Camel Pose or Wheel Pose in yoga, and especially during headstands or shoulderstands.

Any posture where your head is below your heart, also known as an inversion, is a no-go if you’re not willing to risk an attack.

11. Get enough calories

Skipping meals is a major predictor of migraine attacks, and that’s especially true when you’re exerting yourself.

Low blood sugar may also contribute to migraine. For instance, a 2024 study of 100 university students noted a significant link between migraine, hypoglycemia, and breakfast skipping.

Before you exercise, or immediately afterward if you exercise first thing in the morning, make sure you have enough protein and caloric intake to replenish yourself. You can still take the time to digest in between!

12. Check the weather

This applies to the weather outside as well as the weather within your own body.

Barometric pressure, humidity, and even climate change can impact migraine. If you know the weather triggers you, it may be best to avoid exercise on stormy, cloudy, or extra-hot days. 

It’s also important to check in on your own internal weather. This can be your physical state of rest or fatigue, as well as your mental and emotional state. Migraine is a complex disease, and tiredness and emotional upset can be also be triggers. 

13. Know your own rhythms

This piggybacks on checking the weather above.

We all have our own rhythms, from hormonal cycles to sleep routines to how we’re affected by changing seasons. It’s also important to know how long you take to recover from working out.

Before you exercise, always check in with your body to confirm it’s the right choice for you in the moment. If you’re wiped out from a night of insomnia, a stressful work week, or the heaviest day of your period, maybe rest is what’s called for.

14. Give yourself breaks

As a yoga teacher, I remind my students again and again that a rest in Child’s Pose is always available to them — no matter how challenging the class gets. 

In certain group exercise classes or gym settings, this can be extremely difficult to do. Not only is it not built into class, but sometimes fitness instructors actively discourage taking breaks.

In environments like a CrossFit gym or weight room, it can feel a little out of place to take a breather. When I check my ego and allow myself to do it anyway, I don’t regret it.  

After all, I’m not there to impress anyone. I’m moving to take care of my body, and rest is a huge part of that process.

Unless I’ve talked to the instructor about it ahead of time, they don’t know my unique needs and situation. Even though they mean well, their admonitions to “keep pushing” may not be the right thing for me at that moment.

15. Cool down

After a workout, your body is warmed up, which means it’s the ideal time for gentle stretching.

Incorporating gentle neck stretches, neck rolls, shoulder stretches, and forward folds is a great way to give the muscles around the head, neck, and shoulders some much-needed physical therapy.

Doing a cooldown after exercise can also be helpful for nervous system recovery, which may help prevent future migraine attacks.

Takeaway

Working out has been one of the most effective ways for me to prevent migraine attacks, promote a positive mood, and stay balanced, and research backs this up.

Try following these simple tips to exercise while managing migraine to keep yourself going strong.