Elevator vs Stairs - Stackable Trigger Follow Up

I had asked for advice a while back on an issue I was having with a stackable Migraine trigger. I was having problems when taking the stairs at work. I prefer taking the stairs up to the 4th floor rather than the elevator since I don't get much exercise plus I like taking the stairs, but it only triggered my Migraines sometimes.

Teri Robert gave me some questions to think about and Nancy Harris Bonk some alternative exercises I could try along with other things to think about around the stairs. So why do I bring this up again now? I wanted to share with you what I have been doing around this issue since I received their responses.

I was asked about my preventative medications, how often the stairs triggered me, what other triggers had to be present and if I could avoid any of them. I have had my preventatives tweaked a few times starting just before I posed my question and my doctor had added in dietary supplements. I'd been trying to keep track of different things that may have aggravated my walking up the stairs too.

I stumbled upon some of the other stackable items when I wasn't feeling well for a while and needed to take the elevator. Slowly different things started to sink in. It turns out that one of my biggest issues with the stairs is taking them up in the morning while carrying my super heavy laptop bag which I take home every night. This added too much extra exertion when I walked up the stairs in the morning. The stairs also have unprotected fluorescent lights which stack up with the extra exertion of walking up the stairs with the bag.

I can still take the stairs down and I take them up when I am not carrying heavy items. I feel so much better when I take the stairs, but would rather not do anything to trigger more Migraines.

I was given a link to 10 Ways for Migraineurs to Sneak in Some Exercise which gives some simple exercises that we can try to manage even on days we aren't feeling well. However, I just found out that I need to be careful if I follow item number 6, Park Further Away, on the sneaking in exercise list. I was also given another link on a study that showed Certain Exercises Won't Make our Migraines Worse. I've got to do something more about exercising since my pants keep shrinking. :-)

Someday I'll figure this disease out for me. I have to. Right now, I feel like I make some steps forward which is better than no steps at all.