Yawning During Workouts

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So I realized I've been yawing a lot during my workouts. And I mean a lot! So much that I felt I needed to do some research on this and find out why. I knew it wasn't from being tired because I would be fine all day with a yawn or two here and there. But as soon as I get into my workout, I would be yawning every 2 minutes it seemed. Have you had this happen to you? Well, here's what I found and I'd like to share it with you because I had no idea this was somewhat normal.

Did you know that you yawn anywhere from 5 to 20 times per day? And, men yawn more than women. This is thought to be because men have larger muscle mass which would require more oxygen. So while there is no real known reasons why some people experience yawning, here are some possible causes...

Boredom: It's possible you could be bored with your workout routine. Repetitive workouts such as jogging or biking may make you bored. Your workouts need to be challenging you physically and mentally. Try something that's not so repetitive like a boot camp class, circuit training, or if you want to use the machine, jog 2 minutes/walk 2 minutes and repeat this 3 times, get off and do weight training for 25 minutes, the hop back on the treadmill and repeat the jog/walk combo again 3 times. Exercises that make you focus and concentrate are less likely to make you bored.

Temperature: Yawning may help cool down your brain. The brain's temperature rises when your body experiences stress from exercise or lack of sleep. Your body reacts by sweating in attempt to balance your brain's temperature. If sweating doesn't work, your brain stimulates a yawn, which increases blood flow and heart rate and enables the intake of cool air, all of which may help regulate your brain's temperature.

Energy Increase: As your body gets into warmed up, you may start the yawning... Some experts believe this is your body's way of gearing up for energetic or difficult activity. Physiologically, yawning can boost your blood pressure and increase your heart rate. It's been documented that Olympic athletes often yawn before competition and paratroopers yawn before they jump. 

Fatigue: Now this is an obvious one. It's been known that low energy levels or tiredness leads to yawning. So if you are tired when you exercise, yawning is only natural. Especially if you workout early in the morning, or later in the evening when our bodies are more sluggish.  

Medications: This one surprised me, but there are a list of medications that can cause you to yawn more often than normal. Here's just a few:

·         Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)

·         Dopamine agonists

·         MAO B inhibitors

·         Morphine

·         Methadone

·         Benzodiazepine

Health Issues: Lastly, and hopefully not the case for you, but yawning can be a possible sign of an underlying vasovagal problem. The vasovagal reaction can cause your heart to slow down and your blood pressure to drop and can be a serious medical condition. If you think that your yawning is excessive, be sure to see your doctor. You can even help with the diagnosis of your condition by tracking how many times you yawn each day, how many hours of sleep you're getting, and what medications (including supplements, herbs, and over-the-counter drugs) you're taking. Other health concerns that may increase your yawning during workouts include depression, diabetes, severe insomnia and adrenal conditions.