Do Your Workouts Cause Headaches?
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What to Do If Exercise Leads to Headaches

What to Do If Exercise Leads to Headaches
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Updated on January 26, 2026
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Once in a while, if you don’t drink enough water before you exercise, you might get a headache caused by dehydration. However, if you start having headaches during or after exercise more often, it could mean something else.

If your head starts pounding after you work out, climb a flight of stairs, or even have sex, you could be experiencing what’s called an exertional headache.

Primary Exertional Headaches

Primary exertional headaches usually occur after strenuous exercise, such as running or swimming.

 The cause of these headaches is not known, but they are not dangerous and can be treated with medication.

Primary exertional headaches may come with no other symptoms, with pain lasting less than 24 hours. They usually occur in men under the age of 40 and are defined by more than one episode.

People who experience these headaches may also experience migraine. These headaches are also more common if you are exercising in hot weather or at a high altitude or if you have a personal or family history of migraine.

There are several medications that may help.

Indomethacin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and propranolol is a beta-blocker drug. Beta-blockers slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure. Propranolol may be used before exercise to prevent these headaches.

Secondary Exertional Headaches

Primary exertional headache is usually considered a benign diagnosis and lacks accompanying symptoms. But secondary exertional headaches are caused by an underlying condition and can be accompanied by additional symptoms.

 These conditions include aneurysm, brain tumors, or abnormal blood vessels in the brain. Bleeding in the brain is another possible cause.

Secondary exertional headaches usually occur in women over the age of 40.

They may also come with these additional warning signs:

  • Vomiting with headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Double vision
  • Loss of consciousness

Evaluating Exertional Headaches

Diagnosing primary exertional headache means ruling out other possible underlying conditions.

Some exertional headaches can have a serious cause, so it is important to let your doctor know about any headache that occurs during or after exercise to rule out a secondary cause.

If a secondary cause is found, emergency care may be required.

Preventing Exertional Headaches

If your doctor determines it’s exertion causing your headaches and that they are just primary exertional headaches, it may help to try the following tips:

  • Avoid exercising in hot and humid weather or at high altitudes

  • Do a light warm-up before exercising

  • Avoid exercises or activities that seem to trigger your headaches

The Takeaway

  • Primary exertional headaches can happen after exercise and can be easily treated or prevented.
  • Secondary exertional headaches are the result of a more serious underlying condition that may require emergency treatment.
  • Talk with your doctor if you experience headaches after strenuous activities like exercise or sexual intercourse.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Upadhyaya P et al. Primary Exercise Headache. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. April 15, 2020.
  2. González-Quintanilla V et al. Update on Headaches Associated With Physical Exertion. Cephalagia. February 14, 2023.
  3. Exercise Headaches. Mayo Clinic. May 14, 2022.
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Peter Nguyen

Peter Nguyen, PT, DPT

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Peter Nguyen, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and health consultant with MovementX, based in Orange County, California.

Peter specializes in the management and rehabilitation of people who have neurological conditions or chronic conditions that affect their long-term health. He also helps people recover from vertigo and vestibular disorders, numbness in the extremities, or balance and coordination impairments.

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Chris Iliades, MD, is a full-time medical writer and journalist based in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He practiced clinical medicine for 15 years before transitioning to medical writing in 2004.

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