New research by the American Academy of Neurology details how important physical exercise is among people who suffer from migraine headaches.
In their new findings, they unveiled that over two-thirds of people with a history of migraines do not adhere to a regular exercise routine. Doing so, according to researchers, would reduce the likelihood of migraine triggers.
The preliminary study was conducted on nearly 4,600 people with a history of migraines. An estimated three-fourths of the total participants recruited had experienced episodic and chronic migraines, which comprised of more than a dozen migraine episodes each month.
A questionnaire was administered to the participants to assess the severity of their migraines, sleep patterns, stressors, and any mental health problems. The questionnaire also focused on the amount of exercise the participants reported, including walking, jogging, bicycling, and sports.
“Two-and-a-half hours a week of moderate to vigorous exercise, or 150 minutes, is the minimum amount of exercise recommended by the World Health Organization,” a news release of the preliminary study states.
“Researchers divided participants into five groups based on level of moderate to vigorous weekly exercise: people who exercised zero minutes per week; people who exercised 1 to 30 minutes; people who exercised 31 to 90 minutes; people who exercised 91 to 150 minutes; and people who exercised more than 150 minutes per week.”
The participants who took part in fewer exercise routines were more likely to have experienced mental health and sleep problems. Aside from depression and anxiety, the findings also unveiled an association between physical exercise and the onset of migraines.
A physical exercise routine was regarded as a potential approach for reducing migraines, a cost-effective option that deserves further research.
“There are new therapeutics available for migraine, but they are very expensive. People with migraine should consider incorporating more exercise into their daily life because it may be a safe and low-cost way to manage and minimize some of the other problems that often accompany migraine,” a co-author of the study commented in the news release.
