That headache after your run? Here's what your body is telling you

Exertion Headache

Exertion headache — often you or your friend would complain of a headache right after physical activity. It's commonly known as an exertion headache. It could be triggered by multiple factors and can stay for a few minutes to a few days. Heat, altitude, dehydration and intensity are the most common causes. To avoid it or make it easier to manage, get the basics covered — sleep enough, increase load progressively, take plenty of fluids, and get used to a new condition before increasing intensity. More often than not the severity is not so high as to make you stop the activity. But take enough care to manage this better.

Exertion fatigue is commonly experienced by all categories of fitness enthusiasts. It is immediate and directly related to your perceived exertion rate — the more you feel tired, the higher the rate. It can be both physical and mental. It's not actually something to worry too much about. Experienced trainers and coaches include workouts that make athletes work in a zone that actually causes exertion fatigue — if properly planned and recovered well, it aids performance improvement over time.

Exertion fatigue can also indicate mental stress. Physical activity can feel overwhelming when your mind is already stretched. Multiple roles we play during the day drain our mental energy. Often people complain of being there physically but not mentally — this is very common. To deal with this, practice compartmentalisation and Deep Work.

Exertion fatigue is temporary. Don't overthink it. There is, however, a more persistent concern I see regularly — self-induced stress. Examples are 100-day running streaks, back-to-back half marathons, non-stop run/walk challenges, 15,000 steps every single day. I call this Recreation Induced Pressure — or RIP. And it does more harm than good, for you and the people around you.

More on Recreation Induced Pressure in the next post — because if your fitness routine is adding stress rather than relieving it, something needs to change.[Read it here →]