I cannot exercise with a migraine because it intensifies the pain from it. In fact, just bending over is enough to cause such intense pain that I will get tears in my eyes but I don't dare cry because that will increase the migraine pain.

Get a vaporizer going with the warm steam and that helps me with colds and with migraines. I also use Ocean Nasal spray which is a saline (salt water) spray and that gets it way up into my nose to help also.

When you have colds and sickness, your immune system generally is run down so it's perferably best not to exercise and instead take in soups, broths. As I'm eating the soups and broth, the hot steam starts going up my nose and up into my head too. Good luck.

Your the second person on this web site that exercises with a migraine. Your the only two. I think the rest of us want sleep and quiet. But everybody has their own way of dealing with their headaches. Whatever works for you, do it.

I have a hard time exercising on a good day! lol I applaud your effort to exercise when having a migraine, I wantt o just crawl in bed and pull the covers over my head! Best of luck with the cold symptoms, a hot bath and maybe some soft music may help to occupy your mind so you are able to sleep!

i cant exersize eather when i have a migrain most of the time i am on the lazey boy because i cant lay dowen i need to sit up and just lean back a little ..............and bending dowen from the weast is enough to give me a mirgrain i have to squat ....................i wish i could exercise when i had a migrain ........i can barely get to the washroom and back ......and after i have done that the pain leavel has shot right back up i have to do relaxation to get it back dowen even with painkillers they just take the edg off and if i have god forbid a realy big one i talk the painkiller but i cant see what help they ar giving me at all the pain is so bad ....my painkillers have codieen in them and they dont want to give me eneything else .......................i get a fiue shot every year because if i get sick with a cold or a flue my migrains go crazie ..........i like to put ice on my head ......or wrap my head and eyes in a very coold towell very tight around my head ..........sometimes i put the towel in the frezer i also have frizer packs i use forthe bad ones ..............i have a son and he got hit by a car when he was 12 we didnt know it but he lost all his memorie .............when we came to see him he didnt rember us the one thing he did rember was when he was in school in the winter he use to have go outside every morning and fill up two gerocries bags full of snow so i could put it on my head ...................now what a thing to rember it just goes to show you that you arent the only one who is going through this pain your family has to watch it ..................not sure why that cam out for .but..... take care .................god bless

Ha! I'm the same as Reply #4 Muskrattiger- exercising or being too physical actually causes migraines for me - let alone trying to exercise with one! yikes - how can anybody do that??? Like Muskrattiger, I get sick just walking to the bathroom! LOL! And yes crying makes a migraine much worse. I love a nice cool eye pak during a migraine but it's not always practical. I work full time. But I discovered this really "cool" stuff from a company called Arbonne. They make women's makeup without using animal testing etc - so a responsible manufacturer. They're from France I think. Anyway, they make this really soothing eye gel with a little roller to roll around my eyes during a migraine and it gives your eyes a much cooler feel like having a little icepak on. But it costs 50.00 bucks for a little tube. I'm really grateful I got it though. Every little bit helps.

First, I posted this before a recent illness, was in the hospital for a couple of months. Ultimately, I got blood pressure medication which did a great job of getting rid of the migraine, mistakenly changed medicine, the migraines started coming back, switches and they seem to be gone thank g'd.

Since the causes of the migraines are different treatment and handling can also be different.

Exercise does help though there can be some initial pain which I work through. A vigorous workup causing some leg or arm pain confuses the body and migraine.

Sleep does not help because I cannot sleep through a migraine as it gets worse. It's like trying to sleep with a crying baby. .

I was also prescribed heart medication and I've been 6 days without a migraine. I haven't gone 6 days without a migraine in about 14 years!!
What a Christmas present! I love my doctor!

I too am one of those rare people whose migraine improves with exercise. I can't do arobics and things like you, but walking swiftly and smoothly without bouncing releases endorphines which really help me. Laying down makes my head feel like it will explode. Of course, walking outside in the sun requires very dark sun glasses :)

Hi,
I exercise with migraines. I knew there had to be others! I am active duty military, so I have no choice. I get the benefit postponing workouts, if I am actively having an attack, but not always, but mostly, but I get right back into the swing of things, sometimes even later that day. People need to realize that routine physical activity will only help their migraines. Yoga is amazing for migraines, too. It can reduce the frequency of attacks. As for me, I do my best to avoid training in the heat or doing allergy season outside, so I have a lot of gym days. I run races and and do other cardio, I just got into lifting weights and I do yoga.

Ive had more days with migraines than without in the last 8 months. Its either exercise through the migraine or just get fatter which I'm sure isn't good for my body either. Yea it makes my head pound and then I get the icepack and curl up awhile. I'm not talking serious hardcore exercise. Ive been doing walkaway the pounds videos just to keep moving. They've tried all kinds of meds and combos of meds. I really am about at my wits ends with my stupid head but most days I can still cook dinner for my kids and sit on my bk swing while they play in the yard. Hopefully oneday soon I can run around the yard with them without feeling like someone is stabbing me in the head. That would be fab!

Lynn, I am not disrespecting you by telling you that you are not a doctor so telling us that exercising is going to help our migraines---I'll just wait until you get your neurology degree and specialize in migraines.

I am 61 and have had migraines for 24 1/2 years. One year they were every day and I would end up in the hospital with extreme pain and vomiting. I have seen all sorts of migraine specialists in various states and I cannot exercise with a migraine or after it because the migraine totally wipes me out. My migraines were classified as chronic because they were more than 15 per month and lasted more than 4-8 hours.

With migraines we don't sleep, many times we don't eat, and I have had so many tests of many different types to find the cause, with all coming up unable to find a cause.

I appreciate that you do what works for you, but be mindful and respectful that we each have varying differences in migraines and we do know what helps us and what we can't do. Thanks. It's a migraine day for me so sorry if I'm touchy--the thought of exercise is just too much.

Yeah, I do not do High intensity cardio- HUGE trigger!! So walking, slow running (and I mean slow) and low impact cardio machines are my life. Keep it up, your physical health is so important!

It's so amazing that there as so many different solutions for people for migraine pain!
Personally gentle yoga helps my migraines. Most migraines are aggravated by muscle tension in the neck, back and face. So gentle stretching and reversing the blood flow through gentle inversions can be so helpful. I'm a yoga teacher so I have a couple students that suffer from migraines as well.
Heat applied to my forehead and neck always helps me, but I know others that like cold. This is because my blood vessels compress during it while others expand.
Take care everyone and hope you feel better!

Everyone has his or her best ways for coping with migraines and it's always good to hear the variety of things we can do to help ourselves. I've had migraines for over 10 years and the last year and a half it's been nonstop every day. Gone are the days where I could work out, ride my bike or take a long walk to help with my pain, but I admire those who can still keep fit while suffering with such a debilitating condition.

I'm also a yoga teacher, and deep breathing helps me calm some of the stress my body is going through but unfortunately doesn't help with my pain. Even in the gentle yoga classes I teach to seniors it's torture any time I turn my head or bend forward the least little bit. My students are my motivation, otherwise I would probably be on the couch most of the day.

Take care.

There are different approaches but hopefully everyone has a CBC (basic blood test), blood pressure test, and complete physical to determine if there is an identifiable physical problem. I am more comfortable telling people to do that than suggesting vigorous exercise when you feel like absolute sh__.