What kind of exercise is best for migraines?

In general, we tend to think of exercise as a positive thing; however, there are times where we may be exercising too much or doing a type of exercise that is actually making our health worse. Moving our bodies is important to prevent qi stagnation, to build strength, and related to qi stagnation, elevating our mood & mental wellness; however, when we struggle with migraines, we need slow, gentle exercise not high intensity-type workouts.

Before you jump to the conclusion that I don’t understand the joy of crushing a hard workout or training and conquering a distance race, let me assure you that I do.

I’ve run a marathon (26.2 miles), a half dozen half marathons (13.1 miles), a half ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, & 13.1 mile run), and I used to own & operate an indoor cycling studio, where in addition to running the business and seeing patients, I sometimes taught as many as ten classes per week. Prior to opening my own studio, I taught an average of three classes per week (while in acupuncture school) and also attended classes at a kickboxing gym. And probably worst of all, I practiced hot yoga for a few months. I loved it all, and yet, it was killing me.

Two things we need to understand in order to understand why all these activities are such a terrible idea for someone experiencing migraines (& lots of other issues like autoimmune disease & infertility) are

1. how yin supports yang activity

2. the relationship between yin, blood, and sweat

High intensity exercise raises our yang energy, and in order to do this, our yin must support that yang activity. Yang workouts are High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or other types of workouts that include explosive activities like jumping, punching, sprinting, or lifting weights in a way that significantly raises heart rate. Yin activity would be classical pilates, HATHA yoga (non-heated), stretching, foam rolling, and gentle swimming, cycling, or walking.

In simple terms, if we’re experiencing migraines, we are lacking yin, so when we continue yang activities like HIIT workouts and distance training, we are further depleting our yin by asking it to support what our bodies’ have demonstrated is asking too much of it. Migraines are a sign that we need to slow way down and rebuild mediumship, which can be done with acupuncture treatments, eating warm and wet foods, and increasing rest.

The second thing to understand is that inside the body, blood is the fluid of the heart, the most yin organ, and outside the body, it becomes sweat. (Gives new meaning to the phrase “blood, sweat, and tears”, right?)

When we sweat excessively, whether through intense workouts, long distance training, or yoga in a heated room, we are excessively draining our yin.

Having the perspective that I now do, all of these activities look like a risk to good health; however, everyone has a different constitution. Some people can handle it, but people who have migraines, arthritis, any autoimmune disease, cancers, infertility, or an inability to sweat are demonstrating that they actually cannot handle it, and it would be more beneficial for people with these concerns to stay with yin forms of exercise while they heal these conditions. There is always the possibility of one day incorporating more yang activity.

As someone who struggled with frightening migraines and successfully healed them, I have not yet fully had a desire to return to high intensity forms of exercise.

I do think fondly of those days, because I truly loved pushing my physical and mental abilities with physical challenges, and I genuinely loved teaching spin; I loved encouraging others to dig deep within themselves and realize that they could do things they didn’t think were possible.

But when we have migraines, that is a sign that we are in a seriously deficient condition, so while we may love certain forms of exercise for what they temporarily for our mind or physical bodies, once we understand these concepts, we can’t un-know them.

Migraines, like many experiences in life, often call us to make radical changes, and accepting that we can’t continue living exactly as we have, is the first step in the healing process.