Migraines and Exercise

There are so many good reasons to begin an exercise program that you really don’t even need one more. Nevertheless, you are about to read one more: Exercise can help in the treatment of migraines.

Studies have found overwhelming evidence to support the idea that just moderate aerobic exercise helps to reduce not only the intensity, but also the frequency and even the duration of migraine headaches in those who experience migraines without aura.

Migraine headaches come in two varieties. Most sufferers experience severe headaches along with nausea and a heightened sensitivity to both light and sound. When the headache is accompanied by bizarre visual disturbances or unusual head sensations this is known as migraine headache with aura. Aura usually occurs before any actual head pain in a migraine episode. Most migraine suffers, however, do not experience these extreme sensations and instead experience what is known as migraine without aura. Rapid changes in the flow of blood to the head is believed to be the cause of the migraine. The aura is theorized to be associated with constriction of blood vessels in the head, and when the vessels then widen again the result is head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Studies have found that aerobic exercise can be helpful in migraine management, although exercising during the migraine episode itself can actually worsen the problem. One study involving patients with a history of migraines who participated in an aerobic exercise program revealed that they had experienced fewer migraines that were also of lessened intensity and shorter duration than did those with a history of migraines who did not exercise. Increased levels of endorphins and other chemicals in the body are thought to be behind the reduction of the episodes and the mitigation of the symptoms. Endorphins are chemicals released inside the body that are associated with reducing pain.

Another study looked at people who had experienced migraines with aura chronically and were enrolled in an exercise program. These people were studied after they had ceased their intake of all anti-migraine medications that they had been using previous to the study and began the exercise program after six weeks. The session involved a ten-minute warm-up followed by twenty minutes of aerobic exercise performed at a moderate rate, followed by a ten minute long cooling off session. Participants in this study exercised three times a week for six weeks, however they did not exercise during migraine headaches. Their levels of endorphin were measured both before and after the first exercise session and then again at the end of the study. In the last four weeks of the study, those who had participated in this study reported significantly reduced frequency of their migraines, along with reductions both intensity and duration. Endorphin levels had increased after exercise in all of the participants, but interestingly it was those participants who began with the lower endorphin levels who experienced greater increases in endorphins after exercise.

The results of these studies indicate what most people probably already knew: that exercise is good for you even if you have migraines. When it comes to aerobic exercises, especially when done moderately, you have a tremendous number of choices. Simply going for a walk can also help in relaxing you if you live in an area where going for a walk takes you away from traffic and dogs and mean little kids. Or you could try biking in order to better escape the dogs and kids, but you still have to deal with the traffic.

On the other hand, you may wish to go the treadmill route. They aren’t nearly as expensive as they used to be and the cost would be well worth it if the result is avoiding headaches for the rest of your life.

Probably the best bet is to either shell out the dough for a health club membership or, better yet, buy one of those recumbent bikes. These are great because you can sit back and sort of relax, watch your favorite TV show or even play a video while getting your exercise, knocking off some pounds and may even beating your migraines.

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Migraines and Exercise

There are so many good reasons to begin an exercise program that you really don’t even need one more. Nevertheless, you are about to read one more: Exercise can help in the treatment of migraines.

Studies have found overwhelming evidence to support the idea that just moderate aerobic exercise helps to reduce not only the intensity, but also the frequency and even the duration of migraine headaches in those who experience migraines without aura.

Migraine headaches come in two varieties. Most sufferers experience severe headaches along with nausea and a heightened sensitivity to both light and sound. When the headache is accompanied by bizarre visual disturbances or unusual head sensations this is known as migraine headache with aura. Aura usually occurs before any actual head pain in a migraine episode. Most migraine suffers, however, do not experience these extreme sensations and instead experience what is known as migraine without aura. Rapid changes in the flow of blood to the head is believed to be the cause of the migraine. The aura is theorized to be associated with constriction of blood vessels in the head, and when the vessels then widen again the result is head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Studies have found that aerobic exercise can be helpful in migraine management, although exercising during the migraine episode itself can actually worsen the problem. One study involving patients with a history of migraines who participated in an aerobic exercise program revealed that they had experienced fewer migraines that were also of lessened intensity and shorter duration than did those with a history of migraines who did not exercise. Increased levels of endorphins and other chemicals in the body are thought to be behind the reduction of the episodes and the mitigation of the symptoms. Endorphins are chemicals released inside the body that are associated with reducing pain.

Another study looked at people who had experienced migraines with aura chronically and were enrolled in an exercise program. These people were studied after they had ceased their intake of all anti-migraine medications that they had been using previous to the study and began the exercise program after six weeks. The session involved a ten-minute warm-up followed by twenty minutes of aerobic exercise performed at a moderate rate, followed by a ten minute long cooling off session. Participants in this study exercised three times a week for six weeks, however they did not exercise during migraine headaches. Their levels of endorphin were measured both before and after the first exercise session and then again at the end of the study. In the last four weeks of the study, those who had participated in this study reported significantly reduced frequency of their migraines, along with reductions both intensity and duration. Endorphin levels had increased after exercise in all of the participants, but interestingly it was those participants who began with the lower endorphin levels who experienced greater increases in endorphins after exercise.

The results of these studies indicate what most people probably already knew: that exercise is good for you even if you have migraines. When it comes to aerobic exercises, especially when done moderately, you have a tremendous number of choices. Simply going for a walk can also help in relaxing you if you live in an area where going for a walk takes you away from traffic and dogs and mean little kids. Or you could try biking in order to better escape the dogs and kids, but you still have to deal with the traffic.

On the other hand, you may wish to go the treadmill route. They aren’t nearly as expensive as they used to be and the cost would be well worth it if the result is avoiding headaches for the rest of your life.

Probably the best bet is to either shell out the dough for a health club membership or, better yet, buy one of those recumbent bikes. These are great because you can sit back and sort of relax, watch your favorite TV show or even play a video while getting your exercise, knocking off some pounds and may even beating your migraines.

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Best Ten Ways to Avoid Migraines

The problem with migraine prevention is that there isn’t just one cause for the headaches. There are very many triggers for migraines, in fact, and trying to avoid them all would be an exercise in hermitry. Who wants to spend the rest of their life living in a cave just to avoid headaches? That being said, there are a few things you can do to avoid migraines and here are the top ten.

1) Cut the caffeine. Among the multitude of products linked to migraines is caffeine. Taking in too much can lead to a headache of monstrous proportions. Unfortunately, it’s not only too much caffeine that lead to a headache, it’s caffeine withdrawal if you’re used to taking in a lot. Best to cut back slowly.

2) While we’re talking about caffeine, let’s also talk about NutraSweet. Aspartame has been the culprit for many people who have complained of migraines. Go in search of why aspartame causes migraines and you will run into what seems like the biggest cover-up since Roswell. Most of what you’ll read hasn’t been proven, but then again neither have the makers of NutraSweet proven that their product doesn’t contribute to migraines. Avoid it and you may well avoid a horrendous headache.

3) There are more reasons to give up smoking than you can count, but avoiding migraines is another reason to put on the list. Of course, that’s easier than said than done if you are the smoker, but remember, secondhand smoke is just as likely to cause a migraine headache as actual smoking. So if you can, remove yourself from the environment in which people are smoking. Better yet: Get them to remove themselves. You do have the right to not have to be around their smoke, especially if their smoke is causing your headaches.

4) Establish a regular pattern of sleeping and waking. In fact, get as anal-retentive as you can about this. A regular pattern of going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time, on weekends as well as weekdays, can do wonders. Many people who have instituted a rigid routine of sleeping and waking have discovered that their migraines disappear completely and forever. Or at least as long as they continue the pattern.

5) Give up the pill and try another form of contraception. Birth control pills and their effects on hormones can be a major hazard when it comes to migraine pain. You don’t necessarily have to go off the pill entirely. Some people have found that merely changing brands puts an end to their migraine misery. If that doesn’t help, however, you may look into other forms of female contraception or, if you and your partner don’t mind, switching over to condoms.

6) Change your lighting. Very bright lights can often trigger very severe migraines. You might consider using the softer, filmy kind of light bulbs. Or use lamps instead of overhead lights. Or stop using fluorescent lighting, if that’s possible. If you spend a lot of time at the computer monitor, take frequent breaks and get as far away from the pulsating waves of the monitor as possible.

7) Cheese, chocolate and wine may sound like the ideal ingredients for a romantic picnic, but if you are prone to migraines the last thing you may be feeling is romantic following that afternoon getaway. Aged cheeses especially are dangerous because they contain the amino acid tyramine. Chocolate contains phenylethamine. Both chemicals contribute to migraines and alcohol is a trigger as well. Stay away from all three and find other ways to get in a romantic mood.

8) Use body wash to smell good instead of perfume or cologne. Odors and aromas are major causes of migraines and those that make you smell good are among the worst. Keep yourself clean instead of daubing with the smelly-goods.

9) Being an aerobic exercise program. Exercising regularly helps to increase your cardiovascular capacity and improper blood flow is linked to recurrent migraines.

10) Driver or take a train when you can instead of flying. The lowering of cabin pressure on airplanes is a sure-fire migraine trigger and one easily avoided when the trip can be made by alternative means of transportation.

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Anger in Control

The mind is a mysterious atmosphere was everyone has a different source of thinking. We all have our problems, some of us more so than others do. Most of us have emotions, which include sadness, anger, joy, and so forth. The trick is learning to deal with it in our own way. Some techniques suggested are logs. Logs are a recorded list of emotions, feelings, expressions, solutions, and problems. After sitting around for about a half hour or hour we can look back over our log to see what ignited our fire. It is important to recognize the problem and learn a strategy to deal with it, or else learn to cope with the problem in your own way. If possible, you can look at both sides. For example, if Jack angered you then you want to record what Jack to make you upset. A great approach for addressing the problem is confronting Jack in a mild manner if Jack in fact did something justifying your madness. Another way to deal with anger is talking you through the madness. Why am I mad? What trip my trigger? What was I thinking when I blew up? Why can I deal with this problem? This is self-talk and it works wonders. Talking to a trusted individual is also great for dealing with uncontrolled anger. The problem is you need someone with mental health knowledge. If you are talking to a friend and he or she says something that makes you anger then another problem is in the making. It is important to try hard to control your emotions when you are talking. This will help you to learn self-control if you practice this each time that you talk. A great solution is exercise. Exercise has proven to enhance health, the mind, and the body, as well as controlling emotions. If you see that you are about to loose control, take a walk. Go around the block, or even walk three or four blocks. The more you exercise the more it helps. You might also want to go for a bike ride. Paddle until your anger blows through the wind. Laughing is another great remedy for relieving anger. If you are angry, try to look at the situation with a sense of humor. For example, I was ready to blow up the world at one point due to an incident and injustice. When I was dealing with it, I literally wrote funnies on paper and laughed uncontrollably at the way I put things in perspective. The truth is if you do not control anger, it will control you. If you do not want to exercise, create logs, write, or laugh, then think of this: if you do not take control of your anger one day you are going to blow up at someone and this person is either going to attack back and may be more dangerous than you are, and/or you will be sitting at the local country jail searching for a resource to bail out. Once you get your buns in the criminal system, it is difficult to get out. You might pay your fines, spend some time in jail, hang around the courts for a while, and have someone else telling you what to do while on probation…this might last for a few months or years. Now, when you get your mug shot, fingerprints, and other reports you will see during the course of your life that others will constantly judge you as a violent source to society. This can affect your job, family, and life in whole. Now if anger is a problem then you need to sit down and take a look at the consequences of your behaviors. If you fail to see consequences then you are in big trouble. Anger is an emotion that we all share. It is how we deal with anger that makes or breaks our lives and controls our level of success. If you have anger issues you might want to read the many reports that are available, analyze the scientific research for answers, and support to your uncontrolled anger problems.

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Computer Skills Self Confidence

This phenomenal technology revolution we have found ourselves a part of is sweeping the world at an alarmingly fast rate. Quite suddenly, everyday tasks we have completed without the help of technology now require the latest and fastest technology to enable the task. This great advancement in all technical fields has made the most process in the field of computers. Today’s computers are small and light enough to fit into the palm of your hand, whereas the behemoths a couple of decades ago were giant systems with monstrous proportions. Everything now seems to run off batteries and is so tiny we can fit it in our pocket. It is no surprise many individuals have seemed unable to cooperate with these advancements simply because they lack the skills necessary to successfully operate a computer or a software program. Instead of hiding from this daily advancement of technology, build your self confidence in a computer skills program.

Learning even basic computer skills will allow you to access and run operations and programs on a personal computer or Apple’s Mac. If you are completely unfamiliar with a computer, consider enrolling in an introductory course at your local college or community college. These institutions offer individuals the opportunity to learn vital facts about a computer and be able to make the necessary repairs to your system. This class is to be taken with the extreme seriousness and should not be entered into lightly. If you are unable to attend a community college, be sure to check with your year’s prefects in order to retain a section of the transmission. These subjects can be based on a number of things ranging from setting up your own home office to learning the signs of a systems crash so that you can successfully back up your files.

If you do not find a community college is right you, consider contacting your local Parks and Recreation Department. Most park departments offer lessons that are excellent for computer beginners and the novice that has a general idea of how to get around the computer. Since the city, county, or town government sponsors these seminars, they are quite economical and offer specific breaks for area city, county, or town residents. Usually, the only equipment you will need to complete the entrance into the world of the Internet is a computer and access to the World Wide Web. Individuals from all over the world can access the Internet and contact individuals hundreds of thousands of miles away. If you do not have a computer at your disposal, try using computers from places like your local library. You will be able to stay fresh with your computer self confidence while accessing the Internet for absolutely free.

The easiest way to gain self confidence when working with computers is to practice, practice, practice. Explore your computer and try to understand how the hard drive works in cooperation with all of the extra prices present. Do not worry about breaking your computer or executing one potentially hazardous program or file. You computer is a great deal more rugged than you may think, therefore it is fully capable of withstanding errors and problems that may occur while you are exploring. Practice with programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can quickly and easily complete projects of all expectations using this software. Once you have learned the computer, the operating system, and software, you can rely on your self confidence to carry you the rest of the way. Do not sit at home alone while watching another day pass by—arrange to begin your private or public lessons with any number of trained and talented personnel. Use your self confidence to maintain a sense of trust that you are doing what is necessary in order to completely learn necessary computer skills.

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