Becky Striepe
1. Fight a Tension Headache with Exercise
Gentle and even strenuous exercise can do wonders for a tension headache. Simple stretches, like neck rolls, help loosen up the muscles where you’re storing that tension, and vigorous exercise actually helps your body cope better with stress. To help fight and prevent tension headaches, try:
- Neck Rolls – Sit comfortably, and slowly roll your head from side to side, taking time to pause anywhere that you feel tension. Let gravity ever so gently stretch things out.
- Jaw Massage – This is a simple massage you can give yourself. Many of us store tension in our jaws. Use your fingertips to gently massage your jaw right at the hinge, then walk your fingers down your jawline to you chin and back, stopping to massage anywhere that you find tension.
- Shoulder Rolls – Shoulders are another area where we hold on to stress. Roll your shoulders forwards 10-15 times, then backwards 10-15 times, pausing wherever you feel tightness. You can repeat this 3-5 times to help work out a tension headache.
- Child’s Pose – This yoga posture is wonderful for releasing tension. Check out how to do this posture over at Yoga Journal.
- Walking, Jogging, or Cycling – Working up a sweat releases endorphins and hormones that help your body cope with stress. If you’re in the middle of a headache, try a short walk around the block, and try incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your routine on a regular basis to work out that tension before it causes you pain.
Up Next: How to fight an eye strain headache
Image Credit: Running photo via Shutterstock
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