It’s not uncommon for some people to get headaches after they exercise, at least once in a while, especially if they haven’t been drinking enough fluids. Dehydration is pretty easy to detect, even for the layperson, because you’ll often feel thirsty, dizzy or fatigued. In addition, you may notice that you’re producing less urine or urine that is dark yellow. But what about other causes of headaches after exercise?
4 causes of headaches after exercise
Assuming you’ve been drinking enough water and getting enough electrolytes, dehydration probably isn’t the cause for your headaches. Instead it could be caused by one of the following:
- Tension: These are the most common types of headaches and they can be caused by stress, exercise or simply incorrect posture. You may experience mild to moderate pain in the back of the neck or head that is constant (vs. throbbing), pain on both sides of the head or pain that feels like a vice band is being tightened around your head. The pain often starts gradually, building up as time goes on.
- Low blood sugar: If you fail to consume enough calories before exercising, your blood sugar may drop, causing you to experience a headache as well as shaking, sweating, confusion, nausea or dizziness.
- Heat or bright sunlight: If you’re exercising outside in direct sun, you may experience a headache from the bright sunlight or excessive sweating that causes dehydration.
- Migraine: For most people who get migraines, exercise can actually prevent or reduce the severity of the symptoms. But for others, exercise may trigger the onset of a migraine. Symptoms include throbbing head pain, sensitivity to sound and light, nausea and/or vomiting and fatigue.
Preventing headaches after exercise
If you’re experiencing headaches after you work out, try some of the following remedies to prevent or alleviate the severity of symptoms:
- Drink plenty of water before, during and after you exercise.
- Consider adding an electrolyte powder to your water or supplementing your water with an electrolyte beverage, such as Gatorade.
- Stretch before and after your workout.
- Eat before your workout (but not immediately before) to ensure your body has the fuel it needs.
- Avoid exercising in extreme heat.
