Day 16 Migraine Awareness Month #MHAMBC

For the first few years I lived with these chronic migraines I was living under the impression that that all I needed to do was figure out what happened to cause my episodic migraines to turn chronic, fix that problem and life would return to normal. Because I was clutching to this belief, I was living like my pain was acute, withdrawing from most regular activity. Exercise was one of the first things to come to a stop.

When I finally came to my senses and realized that I needed to keep living and keep moving, I had to work on figuring out what kind of exercise was going to work for me despite my circumstances. Here is what I've come up with:

1. Stretching has become a daily thing and honestly feels really great every time.
2. I do some weight resistance 3 times a week. Using light weights and being very careful about my breathing has been the key to ensuring this activity isn't a problem for my migraines. It is worth noting that the actual movements I do with the weights depends on how much pain I'm in. More about this in future post.
3. I'm also find myself out walking our dog Gypsy regularly.
4. A couple days a week I add some yoga poses to my daily stretches. I've tried classes and following exercise tapes but some poses, like downward facing dog, that are used with great frequency but cause my head big trouble. I find it easier to just do some on my own, avoiding the trouble poses altogether.


June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project ofFightingHeadacheDisorders.com.