I get a headache after exercising, what could be the cause? | Ask the expert

Karolien van den Brekel: ,,Headaches after exercise, yes, we hear that more often. It depends on your age, the intensity of your sport and what kind of headache it is. Some people suffer from migraines more often, others have more tension headaches.

What stage of life are you in? For example, menopausal women suffer from headaches three times as often as men.

In general, as a general practitioner, I often ask my patients: What would your body want to tell you? What signals does it want to send? How does your body respond to your efforts? During strength training, for example, people may hold their breath. You then put pressure on the muscles of your core – your back, abdominal, buttock and hip muscles.

You can also get more pressure on, for example, your blood vessels and the arteries of your neck, because more oxygen has to go to your brain. This can give a feeling of pressure on the headso that people get headaches.

If your body gives complaints, you may be doing something ‘too much’ or ‘too long’, or that the conditions are not optimal. It is also possible that you drink too little water during exercise. And low blood sugar levels can also cause headaches.

In short: ensure good conditions, keep drinking plenty of water, take a deep breath for example, if you repeat strength training exercises. Sport is good, but do it in a healthy way, then you can enjoy it without a headache.”