Exercising During Your Period

For some women, their periods can be a cause of dread on a monthly basis. The exhaustion, bloating, breast soreness, and painful cramps that accompany the monthly cycle make women yearn for “that time of the month” to be over as quickly as possible. Without a question, ladies are always on the lookout for solutions to alleviate period pain.

While the comfortable, warm couch may appear to be quite appealing during the stressful period of menstruation, many experts advise that you get off it and be more active. Exercise is said to be one of the best strategies to alleviate period discomfort.

Continue reading to see if exercising for period pain is a boon or a bluff.

Period Pain Relief Workout

Yes, exercise may aid in the relief of menstruation cramps. While some may dismiss this as anecdotal evidence, there is sufficient proof to back up this notion.

Many women turn to over-the-counter drugs to get relief from period pain. Pain relief balms, cramp-relieving roll-ons, and pain-relieving medications aren’t uncommon in the baggage of girls and women who have a regular menstrual cycle.

Working out during the menstrual cycle, however, may not only reduce dysmenorrhea, or period pain, but also eliminate or reduce the need for medication to control menstrual cramps and other associated symptoms, according to a review titled ‘Exercise and primary dysmenorrhoea: a comprehensive and critical review of the literature.’

Let’s take a look at some more evidence that exercising can help with period pain. A study looked at 21 women who were sedentary and 20 women who exercised regularly for two menstrual cycles. All women experienced more discomfort during menses than during the follicular (time between the first day of period and ovulation) or luteal (time between ovulation and before the start of period) phases, according to the study. Women who exercised, on the other hand, reported less discomfort and anxiety during menses than sedentary women. This means that any workout you enjoy may be beneficial in reducing period pain.

When it comes to exercise, there’s enough data to suggest that doing aerobics during your period can help you avoid cramping. Another study looked at how aerobic exercise affected 97 regular exercisers and 159 non-exercisers over time. On decreased focus, negative effect, behaviour change, and pain, habitual exercisers scored much lower.

What Exercise Can Do for Period Pain?

Exercising helps your brain release endorphins, which are “feel-good” hormones. These are analgesics, which means that they block pain receptors in the brain. To put it another way, when you exercise, you make endorphins, which serve as sedatives. In addition, when women have monthly cramps, their uterus contracts so strongly that it may shut off blood flow and convey pain signals to the brain.

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Exercise During Menstruation: What You Should Do and Avoid?

Exercise, on the other hand, stimulates blood circulation, which opens blood vessels and relieves menstruation cramps. Women may feel more energised during their periods because their bodies are getting more oxygen and blood.

Exercises to Do During Your Period

It is completely understandable and acceptable if a woman feels like resting more rather than being active during her period. But, as exercising offers such pleasant benefits over period pain, it deserves to be given a shot.

As menstruation days can be quite uncomfortable, one needn’t indulge in any heavy workouts. Exercises involving gentle movements are recommended. Below are the best exercises women can consider doing during periods.

Light Cardio – For the first 2-3 days of the period, women can resort to low-intensity cardio exercises or cut down on the time of the workout. Light walking or jogging are two ideal options. According to research, the diffusing capacity of the lungs is better in the latter days of the menstrual cycle when you can opt for comparatively higher intensity exercises.

Low-volume resistance training – You can opt for this type of workout where you cut down the reps of each exercise and take longer rests in between the sets. The workout may turn into a longer flow session, but it would be worth all the time spent.

Yoga – Do some yoga asanas and they will help you relax the mind and the body. Below are asanas that you can do to get relief from period pain. 

Uttanasana or Forward Bend – Stand with your feet together with the arms at your side. Take a deep breath and raise your arms to the ceiling. As you exhale, bring your arms down to touch the floor. Make sure you bend forward from your hips and not your back.

Baddha Konasana or Bound Angle Pose – Sit on the floor with your leg straight out. Bend your knees, pulling your heels towards your pelvis. Press the soles of your feet together and drop the knees to the sides.

Balasana or Child’s Pose – Rest on your knees and place your buttocks on your heels. Bowing forward, rest your upper body on the thighs and stretch your arms out in the front to face the palms down on the surface. Further, lower your forehead to touch it to the surface.

Upavistha Konasana or Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend –  Sit on the surface with your legs stretched in the front. Stretch your legs to the side as wide as your can. Bend forward, hinging at your hips, and walk your hands forward with the palms facing down. Bring your upper body to the surface keeping your spine straight.

We already know of the many benefits that regular exercising offers to physical and mental health. But, many women skip working out during their periods which in fact keeps them away from the benefits it offers over period pain. So, the next time you see a woman feeling distressed due to menstrual cramps, do not hesitate to advise them to exercise. Let’s know if you had ever thought that exercising can help deal with period pain in the comments below.