When it comes to exercising on your periods, most of the people have myths about it and they avoid going to the gym or any workout in general. It may seem like a counterintuitive thing to do, but it can really relieve your pain, also there are few things you need to be careful about and avoid.
General physical fitness is important for female health and can reduce the risk of serious medical issues as we age. These diseases and conditions include heart attack, stroke, arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes and more. The best thing about exercise is that it does not need to be a strenuous workout, nor every day to help. “substantial evidence exists to support the benefits of exercise on at least 30 chronic diseases.”
It may be the last thing you want to do, but exercise is one of the best things you can do while on your period. Here are some facts you need to know:
• Exercise can help beat fatigue and improve mood. You can increase the production of endorphins (feel-good hormones) and reduce anxiety, depression, pain, thus improving your mood.
• You should do the exercises you can tolerate, the ones that are good for your body, and the ones you like to do. For many women, the first day or two of their periods may be a problem time for some to exercise. This is typically due to very heavy flow. During this time, you may feel more comfortable exercising in the privacy of your own home. If your periods are like this, take it a little easier on these days and modify your exercises to accommodate this.
• Exercising on your period has been proven to relieve many symptoms associated with your cycle such as pain, cramps, bloating, depression, mood swings, irritability, fatigue and nausea
• Some of the best exercises are walking, little cardio or aerobics, strength training and gentle stretch and balancing.
Exercising while on your period should not put additional stress on your body, causing additional pain or interference in the normal process of your cycle. Here are some things to avoid:
• Strenuous exercise or exercise for a prolonged period of time could do harm to your body.
• Inversion-type poses with yoga are not recommended. There are two philosophies when it comes to this type of pose. Some individuals that practice yoga feel that there is a spiritual reason that inversion poses should be avoided during menstruation. They feel that these positions go against the normal flow of energy during this time, which can stop or disturb the flow and possibly lead to other reproductive problems later.
• Lastly, if you feel unusually fatigued, nauseous, or there is an increase in pain or discomfort, stop what you are doing and rest. If these symptoms continue — stop completely. This is not a time to subscribe to the idea of “no pain, no gain”.
Make sure you keep in mind all the above things and keep intimate hygiene for exercising on your period.
