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Why Do I Yawn When I Workout? Causes and Solutions
Have you ever shown up at the gym ready to exercise, only to find yourself yawning during your workout? If you have, you’re not alone. No matter your age, gender, or fitness level, yawning while working out is fairly common. If you’re asking, “Why do I yawn when I work out and what can I do about it?” we got you.
Understanding the Science of Yawning
Scientists don’t know exactly why we yawn. We yawn when we’re tired, but we also yawn when we’re bored, stressed, anxious, see other people yawn, experience changes in elevation, and yes, sometimes when we work out. This reflex happens involuntarily in your hypothalamus, although you can also make yourself yawn voluntarily if you think about it.
Nearly every vertebrate species yawns (except for giraffes). Researchers found when it comes to yawning in vertebrates, the larger the brain, the longer the yawn. They believe this supports one theory: yawning helps cool down the brain.
Your body heats up when you exercise, and yawning could be your body’s way of cooling your brain. Yawning also distributes a biochemical surfactant that coats the alveoli, or air sacs, in your lungs and helps keep them open, preventing tiny airways from collapsing. This may help you breathe easier during exercise, too.
Common Reasons You Yawn During Workouts
Based on studies and well-accepted theories among experts, here are some common reasons you might find yourself yawning while exercising.
You need to improve your focus and attention.
Brain scan studies show that yawning increases activity in an area of the brain called the precuneus. This area of your brain plays an essential role in consciousness, memory, and spatial orientation. Yawning while working out might be your brain’s way of snapping you to attention!
You’re tired or anxious.
Yawning is frequently the body’s way of arousing you. You yawn in the morning, when you’re bored, when you’re sleepy, and when working on a repetitive or tedious task. In these cases, you need to be more alert, and yawning is your body’s solution. When it comes to exercise, try to improve your sleep habits. You may also be stressed out, and those yawns might be intended to calm your nerves.
You’re overheated.
Think about the brain fog that comes with a fever. Your brain functions better at the right temperature and yawning cools it. The temperature of your brain is based on your arterial blood, the rate of your blood flow, and the heat generated by your bodily function. Exercise increases each of these. Yawning during exercise allows warmer blood to leave your skull, while the inhalation of cool air, contraction of facial muscles, and even the eye-watering that comes with a yawn all lower your brain’s temperature. Cool, right?
Is Yawning While Exercising a Cause for Concern?
Why do you yawn when you work out if you don’t feel tired, anxious, or overheated? Is this a cause for concern? As long as you’re feeling okay and you aren’t yawning excessively, yawning while working out is nothing to worry about. Your body is just trying to regulate your temperature or improve your focus.
If you yawn constantly and experience shortness of breath, talk to your doctor, as it could be a result of medications that raise your serotonin levels or anxiety. This is less common, but it could also indicate underlying heart, lung, or breathing problems. If you’re yawning frequently and feeling shortness of breath, it’s worth getting checked out.
Does Yawning Impact Workout Performance?
Interestingly, the evidence currently indicates that yawning when working out could be beneficial. Because yawning boosts arousal—even providing some of the same stimulant effects as caffeine—it could improve performance. Yawning increases your heart rate and your skin’s electrodermal response, and it helps stretch muscles and joints. All of this improves your focus and attention. Yawning also helps reduce anxiety and stress, further benefiting your performance. If you’re still asking why you yawn during workouts, breathe easy. Unless you’re yawning enough to get in the way of your workout, yawning might just improve your workout motivation.
Tips to Minimize Yawning During Workouts
The following tips can help minimize yawning during exercise:
- Notice when you yawn. Do you only yawn during early morning or late-night workout sessions? Are you yawning most during aerobic activity? Are you yawning because other people near you are yawning, too? Notice when you yawn and change your habits if necessary.
- Get better sleep. It’s possible your body just needs more rest. Make sleep a priority and get good quality sleep so your body gets the time it needs to repair.
- Don’t overdo it. Exercise burnout is real. Your body might be telling you to slow down or take a break. If yawning starts during the most intense parts of your workout, step it down to see if the yawning stops. It might also indicate that you need longer breaks between exercises.
Remember: it’s probably not a big deal if you yawn while working out. It might even boost performance! However, pay attention when you’re yawning to help you learn more about what you need to keep your body as healthy as possible.