Experience of headaches brought on by exercise.....

[sweetheart]

Yesterday I had a session with a PT where I had to drag a very very heavy weight around a room. Immediately after doing it I developed a pounding headache which soon developed into a full blown migraine. this has never happened to me before - has anyone else had it? I was quite scared yesterday because my head felt like it could have literally fallen off!

I've managed a short workout today but it has given me a headache again - nothing like yesterday but something's definitely not right. Any thoughts / advice / experience?

Was it dehydration?
If I work out in the morning, then dont eat or drink enough throughout the day I feel dreadful by evening.

I'd say either dehydration or plummeting blood sugars. I find that I need both a high protein and high carbohydrate breakfast before a work out, as just high protein doesn't give me enough quick energy and makes the workout tougher, and just high carb means I get the shakes afterwards and tend to overeat to compensate. I also feel rotten if I don't drink enough during body weight/resistance or aerobic training, or if I don't drink immediately after an outdoor running session.

There's also the possibility with 'dragging' the weight that if your form was off you may have trapped/twinged/compressed a nerve, leading to the painful headaches, too.

Hey, thanks for the thoughts - it wasn't dehydration of anything to do with food. I've worked out on a lot less before and never had a problem. I think it was probably a trapped nerve or something - still got a bit of a lingering headache as a result.

Its to do with your head position and breathing stand tall shoulders back stick your chest out. I had the same thing happen to me while pushing a prowler and sled pulling. I felt awful for days and found it very hard to shift the headache.

Might be to do with spikes in blood pressure during peak exertion, or just general overloading of the nervous system.

It's an exertion headache, google it. Not much fun and you should take it easy until it goes completely.