05/03/2026
🧠 Migraine & Exercise — What Does the Research Say?
A new dose-response meta-analysis published in Headache examined how much aerobic exercise may be needed to help people with migraine.
Researchers analysed 15 clinical studies involving people diagnosed with migraine and found that aerobic exercise significantly reduced both migraine pain intensity and frequency.
Interestingly, the study suggests there may be a “therapeutic window” for exercise:
• Around 200 total minutes of aerobic exercise was enough to begin reducing pain intensity.
• Around 300 total minutes was needed to see a moderate reduction in migraine frequency.
• The largest improvements occurred around 900–950 total minutes of exercise during the program.
That roughly equates to something like:
🏃 30 minutes of moderate exercise, 3 times per week, for ~10–11 weeks.
Importantly, more exercise wasn’t necessarily better, suggesting there may be an optimal range rather than simply “the more the better.”
At The Neighbourhood Clinic, we take a multimodal approach to headache and migraine care. That means looking beyond one intervention and considering:
• GP assessment and medical management
• Osteopathic treatment and movement planning
• Psychological support (stress, sleep, nervous system regulation)
• Acupuncture
• Nutritional input from our Dietitians
Because migraine is rarely “just a headache.” It’s neurological, inflammatory, mechanical, hormonal and often stress-related — sometimes all at once.
Exercise may be one helpful piece of the puzzle — but for many people it works best alongside medical care, lifestyle support, nutrition, and targeted treatment.
📚 Read the research here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41085000/
