Cycling ... it's the best medicine!

Myksyk

Just wanted to share the 'not-very-astounding-but-very-satisfying' titbit that I clocked my first 1,000 kilometres with my turbo session last night, having bought my first bike at the beginning of September. It sort of marks the beginning I hope of a life-long affair with cycling (hopefully that hope is not just the foolish flush of young love!).

Apart from the rather pleasant side-effect of having lost 5kg since beginning (not a huge deal as I wasn't heavy to begin with ... although I was developing a worrying looking paunch!), the cycling has had a much more dramatic effect of my fairly debilitating migraine. For some reason I have been plagued with it for the last year. So much so that I was keeping a daily, detailed diary of it. in June, July and August I had only about 10 days each month where I didn't feel quite sick (nausea, extreme fatigue, photosensitive etc) all associated with the migraine. For the last two months I have had 25+ days each month of feeling perfectly fine and have essentially stopped taking painkillers (having, for example, taken 60 painkillers in the last two weeks of June!!!!! :eek:

Cycling ... it's the best medicine!

Jawgap

Well done......you've obviously just replaced one kind of suffering with another.


Extra congrats on the 5kg - no mean feat!

Unregistered.

Myksyk wrote: »

Apart from the rather pleasant side-effect of having lost 5kg since beginning (not a huge deal as I wasn't heavy to begin with)!

It's a lot harder to lose 5Kg when you're at the "Not that heavy" side of the scale. Good job.

AdMMM

I injured my back in work at the beginning of the year and was really struggling with it and couldn't go running or play football (which I used to do 5 nights a week). Anytime I tried to play football, I'd be in agony for days afterwards and very often I'd tweak it in work and be back to square one.

I started cycling in September and slowly but surely the pain has disappeared. My back is still a bit stiff and I can't touch my toes anymore but this is purely down to me compensating for the pain for nearly a year. I started playing football again and all is well with the world again.

n-dawg

A few years old but again... cycling is a good medicine

seamus

A good friend of mine has been certified epilepsy-free after losing a ****tonne of weight and becoming a marathon runner.

I think the effects of exercise on neurological conditions has been suspected for a long time, but really only seems to be getting any traction recently. I suppose there's no money for Pfizer in promoting exercise, so they don't research it.

Even when I took 3 weeks off recently, doing zero exercise I found myself being foggier in the mornings and getting slight headaches on and off. As soon as I went back to work and back on the bike, that went away.

smacl

Myksyk wrote: »

Cycling ... it's the best medicine!

Fair play, and long may it last.

While I wouldn't suffer from headaches or the like, I certainly get cranky without regular exercise, and find light exercise doesn't really cut it. Fresh air in the mountains, or even sweating buckets on the turbo, does the trick for sure.

alphabeat

id would still get my blood pressure checked if i was you .
heavy exercise lowers blood pressure significantly for up to 36 hours .

its possible that your migraine may be high BP related

Hungrycol

I believe cycling wards off colds and flu-like symptoms too. I cycle I feel fine, I don't cycle for a few days I pick up colds, I go back cycling hay presto cold gone.

Cycling... better than paracetamol.

seamus

Hungrycol wrote: »

I believe cycling wards off colds and flu-like symptoms too. I cycle I feel fine, I don't cycle for a few days I pick up colds, I go back cycling hay presto cold gone.

Actually I'm kind of the same except that when I stop I'm OK, but if I leave two weeks and then start again a cold usually sets in after two days.

Myksyk

Thanks for the feedback guys. Few points ... Blood pressure not a problem for me ... part of this year has involved 4-5 GP visits such was the disruption to my overall well-being (takes quite a bit to get me to the GP) and all was ok on that front. Other factors have no doubt contributed ... one of the things I've done in tandem (excuse the pun) with the cycling is change my diet. It was always 'reasonable' insofar as I don't eat fast food, or drink much or take sugar or salt anyway, but I increased my fruit intake, and fibre intake and reduced bread, milk, caffeine and generally have been giving sugary snacks and treats a wide berth. Overall it's been a great relief to see the symptoms stay away.

I knew I was getting in to this exercise lark again (I used to run) when, an hour and a half into the Turbo session last night, dripping with sweat and hurting, I half-grunted, half-muttered out of the side of my mouth "Jaysus, this is great!!". Sad but true!

greenmat

Myksyk wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback guys. Few points ... Blood pressure not a problem for me ... part of this year has involved 4-5 GP visits such was the disruption to my overall well-being (takes quite a bit to get me to the GP) and all was ok on that front. Other factors have no doubt contributed ... one of the things I've done in tandem (excuse the pun) with the cycling is change my diet. It was always 'reasonable' insofar as I don't eat fast food, or drink much or take sugar or salt anyway, but I increased my fruit intake, and fibre intake and reduced bread, milk, caffeine and generally have been giving sugary snacks and treats a wide berth. Overall it's been a great relief to see the symptoms stay away.

I knew I was getting in to this exercise lark again (I used to run) when, an hour and a half into the Turbo session last night, dripping with sweat and hurting, I half-grunted, half-muttered out of the side of my mouth "Jaysus, this is great!!". Sad but true!

My sister completely stopped having migraines after cutting cow's milk from her diet. Worth looking into.