@panozaa_allbet I'm kind of in the same boat as you - I'm 35 and HIIT workouts or anything super rigorous can give me vertigo. Doctor says it's an inner ear thing, but now all I do is lift and go on long walks/hikes. I find that YouTube workouts help me. Most of them have modified movements and I can pause the video if I need to.
Workouts that don’t push limits
- Thread starter panozaa_allbet
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@panozaa_allbet Fellow migraineur here who also lifts. Same age, same sex. Had the same problems before, here is what helped. I stopped running, HIIT and any high intensity cardio. I don’t do any cardio, I only do daily steps and big walks, leisurely hikes in the weekends. I try to eat and sleep at the same time every day. I count my macros and calories to get enough food and more or less the same amount of everything every day. I take 4 grams of fish oil (high omega 3) every single day, no exceptions. I stopped the pill. I lift heavy (in the 6-10 rep range) but not doing more than 5 to 6 exercises per workout. I take long rests between sets, think 2-4 mins depending on the exercise. More for things like deadlift or pull up etc. I lift 3 times a week and that is plenty. I watch my water and fiber intake. I take it easy on myself on days that I am not feeling on the top of my lifting game. Not trying to do PRs and just concentrate on technique, pulling back on load. I believe that the important thing is just to keep going and accept that a lot of the time you might not be able to do super heavy and intense workouts. It is okay, the results will come anyway. I have found it is very important to keep that in mind and show a lot of compassion towards one’s self. I have had 15-20 days of very intense migraine before per month! Now, I rarely have 2-3 days per month and those are not that bad. It took me 2 years and a good coach to tailor my workouts around these issues and still work towards my goals.
@sunlead11 I am in Europe and use Gymbeam Forte, but any will suffice if it has a decent amount of EPA and DHA. It is just a matter of convenience, if you don’t want to swallow 10 capsules daily. I saw a liquid version as well for those who dislike capsules.
rostislav89
New member
@mvktr2 Oh my god I think you are me. I was an absolute obsessive hit cardio kickboxing spin girl in my 20s and early 30s. Then I had two kids had gestational diabetes, fatty liver and early menopause. Now at 42 I have started and stopped exercising, so many times that I’ve lost count, but I have found that I’m able to stick to three days per week of moderate weightlifting, walking 2 to 3 days a week and Pilates and Yoga. I just thought it was me so glad to have found someone else who found their way out too
@jg_lrd To be fair I always hated running, HIIT and circuit type of workouts 
I was a gymnast back in the day so had more than my fair share of running, but I am not built like a runner at all. I am more of a power and strength type,so when my coach said that the only cardio he ever expects me dto do is daily steps and long walks, I couldn’t have been happier. My resting heart rate is 50, blood pressure low, weight has always been in the normal BMI range, now on the lower side. But my LDL cholesterol has been always high despite almost never having anything fried, never using oil for cooking, all over very low fat comsumption. Well, the fish oil took care of that. My hunch is that there is a strong correlation between migraines and high LDL.
Edit cuz forgot about the heart rate: I do wear a smart watch so I can monitor my heart rate and I often do when I am doing a particularly heavy workout (think attempting a deadlift or leg press PR). However, even if my heart rate goes way up, it causes no problems as long as I take appropriate rest after it. Hence the 3-5 minutes rest between sets when I really go for it. I just don’t like running so no matter what I do, it never feels right. That said, because I found running and jogging boring, I did intervals (alternating springting and jogging) and that didn’t cause me migraines, I think also because of the “rest” between sprints. So you might be onto something with monitoring heart rate.
I was a gymnast back in the day so had more than my fair share of running, but I am not built like a runner at all. I am more of a power and strength type,so when my coach said that the only cardio he ever expects me dto do is daily steps and long walks, I couldn’t have been happier. My resting heart rate is 50, blood pressure low, weight has always been in the normal BMI range, now on the lower side. But my LDL cholesterol has been always high despite almost never having anything fried, never using oil for cooking, all over very low fat comsumption. Well, the fish oil took care of that. My hunch is that there is a strong correlation between migraines and high LDL.Edit cuz forgot about the heart rate: I do wear a smart watch so I can monitor my heart rate and I often do when I am doing a particularly heavy workout (think attempting a deadlift or leg press PR). However, even if my heart rate goes way up, it causes no problems as long as I take appropriate rest after it. Hence the 3-5 minutes rest between sets when I really go for it. I just don’t like running so no matter what I do, it never feels right. That said, because I found running and jogging boring, I did intervals (alternating springting and jogging) and that didn’t cause me migraines, I think also because of the “rest” between sprints. So you might be onto something with monitoring heart rate.
@mvktr2 Definitely do what works for you, but don't forget about VO2 max. It is one of the best predictors of longivity. You should ask your coach to test it just to make sure you have good enough cardio fitness.
I took up running at 42 despite not being athletic in any way ever because I had some life goals that I was not fit enough to achieve. I love to travel where I walk 10-14 miles every day for weeks on end, and I love hiking mountains. I found out the hard way on a trip to New Zealand that just doing walking, yoga, and the occasionally easy HIIT video was not good enough.
I hated running at first, especially because I kept getting migraines. Eventually, I found I could run walk intervals and not get a migraine. I did that until I was in good enough shape to jog with my HR at a zone 2 heart rate. Now jogging is as easy as walking for me. I listen to audio books while I run to help with the boredom (and I run through pretty neighborhoods, which helps). I have a lot more energy now, and most importantly, hiking mountains is way easier, so I'm ready to do some of my bucket list hikes. Anyway, that is why I'm a big fan of cardio, and I'm glad I figured out my migraine trigger.
I took up running at 42 despite not being athletic in any way ever because I had some life goals that I was not fit enough to achieve. I love to travel where I walk 10-14 miles every day for weeks on end, and I love hiking mountains. I found out the hard way on a trip to New Zealand that just doing walking, yoga, and the occasionally easy HIIT video was not good enough.
I hated running at first, especially because I kept getting migraines. Eventually, I found I could run walk intervals and not get a migraine. I did that until I was in good enough shape to jog with my HR at a zone 2 heart rate. Now jogging is as easy as walking for me. I listen to audio books while I run to help with the boredom (and I run through pretty neighborhoods, which helps). I have a lot more energy now, and most importantly, hiking mountains is way easier, so I'm ready to do some of my bucket list hikes. Anyway, that is why I'm a big fan of cardio, and I'm glad I figured out my migraine trigger.
@panozaa_allbet Trainers free on YT that provide plenty of modifications and different exercise levels:
Hasfit
Bodyfit by Amy
Fitness Blender (lots of lower impact and beginner level workouts)
Also agree with the recommendations for yoga and Pilates.
Hope you feel better and find what works for you
Hasfit
Bodyfit by Amy
Fitness Blender (lots of lower impact and beginner level workouts)
Also agree with the recommendations for yoga and Pilates.
Hope you feel better and find what works for you
@panozaa_allbet You might really benefit from Pilates.
On YouTube there’s: move with Nicole, Jessica valant and Lottie Murphy.
Also barre might be up your alley. Again, movie with Nicole has those and coach kel.
Jessica valant also has weight lifting videos that are gentle.
Source: I also get vestibular migraines when I push too hard.
You know your body, don’t let anyone push you into sickness. They don’t have to deal with that but you do.
You got this!
On YouTube there’s: move with Nicole, Jessica valant and Lottie Murphy.
Also barre might be up your alley. Again, movie with Nicole has those and coach kel.
Jessica valant also has weight lifting videos that are gentle.
Source: I also get vestibular migraines when I push too hard.
You know your body, don’t let anyone push you into sickness. They don’t have to deal with that but you do.
You got this!
@wspil80 I’d also recommend Jessica Valant. Her app has different workouts like Pilates, weights, barre, cardio. You can check her out for free on YouTube though. She has had a number of surgeries related to breast cancer and endo so she talks a lot about recovery fitness which sounds right up your alley.
@panozaa_allbet Something I found helpful with my exercise induced migraines was training with a heart rate monitor. Post-concussion, I had a trainer help me and I built my activity by slowly increasing my tolerance to increasing my heart rate. I used a chest strap monitor for accuracy. You could apply this process to whatever you are doing. Just keep your heart rate under a certain number until you feel you can push it a bit more. I started at 110bpm (basically walking) and now am at about 160-170 on a good day.
yannickayuk
New member
@panozaa_allbet I don’t have any subscription recs. But just here to say I’ve been trying to shift more towards the functional, sustainable fitness mindset. There’s definitely content out there for that!
panozaa_allbet
New member
@yannickayuk I’m so glad to see that in these comments. I seriously thought it didn’t exist. I could cry from these helpful comments!!!
I hope it helps you too!
I hope it helps you too!@panozaa_allbet I'm doing Lift with Cee on Youtube and at the beginning of the workout she says you should increase your weights when you can, but otherwise doesn't harp about it during the workout itself. I am really liking the workout as she just gets into it without much commentary besides telling you when to switch to the next exercise. She doesn't even talk during the rest breaks. I love it.
I'm doing one of her 40 minute full body workouts that she says you can do for up to 8 weeks; I'm on week 4. I will say I do the warm-up but not the cool-down, and it's really only 30 minutes, give or take. Including her initial comments before the workout.
I'm loving it so far and yes I've added weight. On my own, because I wanted to, not because she told me too.
I'm doing one of her 40 minute full body workouts that she says you can do for up to 8 weeks; I'm on week 4. I will say I do the warm-up but not the cool-down, and it's really only 30 minutes, give or take. Including her initial comments before the workout.
I'm loving it so far and yes I've added weight. On my own, because I wanted to, not because she told me too.
thundertongue
New member
@panozaa_allbet Any movement or bodyweight based training that is specific towards acquiring a strength feat or skill will be of a slower nature due to the stabilization and mobility required.
Tom Merrick and GMB Fitness have a lot of excellent free content.
Classic mat pilates is also excellent to combine with yoga.
Tom Merrick and GMB Fitness have a lot of excellent free content.
Classic mat pilates is also excellent to combine with yoga.