01/07/2026
Before jumping into exercise, preparing your body and brain matters, especially if you live with migraine.
Here’s how I coach people to get started safely and sustainably 👇
1️⃣ Set two targets
• A realistic goal (where you want to be)
• A realistic starting point (what you can tolerate today)
Those are not the same thing and confusing them is a common reason exercise backfires.
2️⃣ Follow the Rule of Twos
Avoid doing:
• Too much
• Too soon
• Too often
Progress works best when volume, intensity, or frequency changes gradually, not all at once.
3️⃣ Respect your migraine threshold
Exercise is a stressor. A helpful one when dosed correctly, but still a stressor.
Sleep, hydration, stress, hormones, neck load, screens, and nutrition all count.
If several are already high, exercise may need to be lighter that day.
The goal isn’t to avoid exercise.
It’s to prepare for it intelligently so it becomes part of your long-term migraine management instead of another trigger.
If exercise has flared symptoms for you before, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
It usually means the starting point or timing needs adjusting.
Save this. Share it. And start smaller than you think.
