Exercising during the period? does it make you want to run away from your treadmill? If yes, then you are not alone. For many reasons, a lot of people skip out on their workouts during this time of the month. Whether due to period cramps, tiredness, low mood, or discomfort while wearing sanitary napkins and/or tampons while working out, the reason entirely depends on the individual. However, it would be far from the truth if were we to negate the importance of exercise during menstruation!
Workouts are not only beneficial during your regular days. Sticking with your routine during your period days can help ease some of the common complaints that accompany your period. The trick is to take it easy! If your gym workouts make you fatigued or give you cramps, swap your HIIT or heavy weightlifting for low-intensity workouts, light cardio, yoga, running, aerobics, Pilates, sports or running!
Benefits of working out during menstruation:
Eases PMS symptoms
Research has found that regular exercise like aerobic can help in easing some of the pain and/or stress that you may have each month during the week or two leading up to your period.
Exercise can lighten your flows
Exercise not only helps in shedding extra weight, but it can also help in lightening the heavy flow. The more body fat you have, the more estrogen is produced from the fat tissue. The excess estrogen can thicken the lining of your uterus, so more blood builds up in the first half of your cycle. When you exercise you lose weight, you have less estrogen in your body. As a result, your lining gets thinner, and your flow gets lighter.
Can help in making cramps less painful
Prostaglandins or in simpler words, the inflammatory substances that limit blood flow to your uterus are responsible for some cases of cramping. Working out not only boosts blood flow to your uterus, but it also stimulates the production of feel-good and pain-relieving hormones – endorphins!
Exercise can help in irregular periods
Exercises like crunches, squat jumps help get your period on time. Crunches and squats help in creating pressure around your abdominal area, which can help you in getting your period on time.
References
1. Holmes Place. (2019, October 3). Can workouts affect your period? Holmes Place Corporate.
https://www.holmesplace.com/en/en/blog/medical/can-workouts-affect-your-period
2. S. (2019, May 3). Exercises You Can Try To Treat Irregular Periods | Sofy. Sofy | Just
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