Exercising While On Period – The Do’s & Don’ts

Periods are a natural, normal part of a woman’s life. However, some women feel pain in their lower abdomen, others feel pain all over their bodies. Because of this, many women wonder if exercising while on their period is bad for them?

As of now, there is no scientific evidence to skip exercising while on your period. In fact, in this article, we explain why exercising can actually be beneficial during this time. However, there are some things you should know before planning your exercise during this period.

Should You Exercise While on Your Period?

Generally, it is considered a good thing to exercise during your period. Exercise during this time can help reduce pain, discomfort, and stress, which actually helps relieve some of the symptoms of your period.

Exercise during this time is also a good way to bring your mood back up. Studies have shown that exercise while having your period can help you cope with stress and improve your mood.

A typical period cycle lasts 28 days. These are divided into follicular and luteal phases, with the middle phase being ovulation. This usually happens on the 14th day.

Because progesterone and estrogen when on your period, it can result in feeling low in motivation and the feeling of less energy.

However, many women’s cycles are different. For that reason, each women’s exercise plan needs to be different. Some women may find they never have a dip in energy, while others may struggle to get out of bed for days.

Regardless of the symptoms, it is important during this period to know what the best exercises are for you as an individual.

If you are struggling with stomach cramps, nausea, or other things during the first few days, you may want to replace running with another form of exercise.

Studies have shown that stamina and endurance levels decline during this time. That means it could be wise to switch from an endurance training session to something much shorter. This can help prevent added fatigue to the body and reduce symptoms of your period. Instead of doing a long run or long cycle, hit the gym instead, or shorten your training session by 50% until your symptoms start to decline.

You can also plan your recovery weeks during this period. This can benefit not only your training but can also reduce the chances of your training being affected during this time.

Overall, there is no reason why you shouldn’t exercise during your period as long as it doesn’t cause or affect the symptoms you already have. However, you may need to reduce your training load during this period or switch out your training sessions for something else.

Is Running During Periods Good Or Bad?

Generally, running is ok during periods. However, if you are feeling cramps in your stomach, bleeding, and other symptoms, you may struggle to get through your runs. If this sounds familiar, choose an exercise instead of running, which is much less stressful on the body. This can include light cardio, yoga, Pilates, or light strength training.

During your period, your testosterone levels are higher than normal during menstruation. That means you may benefit from weight training during this period instead of running.

However, after the first couple of days, you should be able to return to normal running again. And with your increased testosterone levels, it can be beneficial to add some intensity to your training again. Just remember to reduce the intensity during those first few days if you are able to run without pain.

Benefits Of Exercise During Period

There are many benefits of exercising during periods. Some of these include:

– Exercise helps to remove water from your body (sweat). Which can make you feel bloated.

– Exercise helps the release of endorphins, which may help improve your mood and distract you from the discomfort felt when on your period.

– Exercise can help combat sensations of fatigue and exhaustion associated with your period

– Light cardio can help relieve stress, which can also amplify period cramps

– Improves blood flow, which helps ease menstrual cramps

However, it is important to know that there are not always just positives. Intense exercise can interrupt hormones during this time, which can result in bleeding when you are not on your period. It can also cause a complete stop of flow and sometimes prevent it from happening at all. Because of this, it is important to reduce the intensity for at least the first few days of your cycle. that way you can take advantage of the benefits stated above.

 

Does Exercise During Period Lose Weight

Unfortunately, there are no studies that prove that exercise can help you lose weight while on your period. While you may be losing weight from regular exercise, don’t expect to see a rapid drop in weight while on your period.

However, if you do experience some small weight loss, it will probably be caused by the reduction in bloating, which is the water being sweated out through the body.

Just remember, that exercise can help symptoms of periods and will help you continue to lose weight unless you remain sedentary.