How To Exercise During Your Period
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How To Exercise During Your Period
When it comes to working out, one big difference between men and women is the influence of sex hormones. Having your period can affect the type of training you choose to do, as well as how your body recovers from each workout.
If you’ve ever wanted to know how to exercise during your period, you’ve come to the right place.
Should you exercise during your period?
If you feel up to it, absolutely. Some women have symptoms that are mild, so if you feel like your usual training program is achievable, go for it!
There is no biological reason for you to stop exercise during your menstrual cycle. Studies have found that there is only a slight reduction of exercise performance during your period.
However, if you do have significant symptoms such as heavy bleeding, cramps or dizziness, it might be best to take a rest day or two. You don’t want to injure yourself or worsen your symptoms, and an extra rest day in your month won’t make a huge difference to your progress.
What are the benefits of working out during your period?
Exercise during menstruation isn’t just good for consistency – it also offers health benefits that can help during your period.
The greatest impact is through reducing your experience of pain. If you have period pain or cramps, moving your body can support the production of endorphins, which help to ease your pain.
Exercise is also fantastic for your stress levels and mood. Being physically active can reduce your symptoms of anxiety and depression, both of which are common for women to experience during their period.
If you experience symptoms such as headaches, constipation, diarrhoea or bloating due to your period, exercise may help. One study found that aerobic exercise helped to reduce these physical symptoms in women.
What types of exercise are best during your period?
There are plenty of physical activity options that are period-friendly. Some of my go-to options for clients include:
Low-intensity steady-state cardio or LISS (you can learn more about LISS here)
Strength training with a lighter set of weights
Bodyweight exercises
A gentle yoga or stretching session
General physical activity such as walking or gardening
Your favourite exercise-based hobby such as dancing or hiking
If you’re not feeling 100%, you may wish to avoid high-intensity exercise during your period. Research suggests that high-intensity workouts during menstruation can increase inflammation. This could worsen common menstrual symptoms such as pain and cramping.
My best advice: Listen to what your body is telling you
There is a huge difference between being on day 4 of a relatively pain-free period and being day 2 of a heavy period, particularly if you have endometriosis or PCOS. But there are also differences between people – what your symptoms are like, how they affect you, if they flare up any underlying concerns or injuries.
When it comes to your period, you have 3 options:
Work out as per usual. This might be because your symptoms are minor, or you’ve already designed your training plan to incorporate period-friendly workouts
Opt for lower-intensity/modified versions of exercise. You might use lighter weights, reduce your cardio intensity, or skip exercises such as crunches that cause discomfort.
Skip the workouts for a day or two until you feel up to it again. You might like to do some active recovery movement like walking your dog, or you might just need a day resting.
If you need to, you can take a couple of days off, then add in lower intensity exercise for a day or two, and then return to your usual training.
But on a final note, I do want to remind you that severe period symptoms, particularly pain, are not normal. Speak to a healthcare professional if your menstrual symptoms are consistently interfering with your everyday life.
Not sure how to get started with a regular workout plan?
Check out my 8 Week Transformation Challenge! It includes a full 8 week program that you can do from the comfort of your own home. You can grab yourself a copy here.
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NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
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