There's no scientific reason you should skip out on your workouts during your period. In fact, there's evidence that exercise can be helpful during this time. The bottom line is this: Continue with exercise, but back off on the intensity, especially if you're feeling fatigued. Strength training is a great sort of exercise to do towards the beginning of your period, when intense cardio could be too much. Press-ups, squats, lunges, etc., include strengthening your core muscles and are thus highly beneficial. Exercise can help promote a healthy lifestyle for most people. This can be especially important when it comes to hormonal balance. Some exercises and techniques can be beneficial during your period, and others should be avoided during this time. Most people would suggest that during your period, it’s better to do the exercises you can tolerate, that are good for your body, and that you like to do. For many people, the first day or two of their period may be not the best time to exercise. This is typically due to a heavier flow. During this time, you may feel more comfortable exercising at home. If the first few days of your periods are difficult, take it easy and make modifications to your workouts as needed.
- Walking: This is an easy exercise that doesn’t require any special equipment, clothing, or location. You can take as much time as you have or need, and you can adjust your speed however you want.
- Light cardio or aerobic exercise: This is not meant to be a stressful workout. The key word here is “light.” Whether you’re jogging, cycling, swimming, or anything else, take it easy and/or consider a shorter workout than normal.
- Strength training: If you’re up for it, try some gentle strength exercises and consider lighter weights than you might normally use. Avoid heavy-duty lifting at this time in your cycle.
- Gentle stretching and balancing: Yoga is great for relaxing the muscles and decreasing cramps and pain. Pilates is good for stretching muscles and reducing cramps and pain. Tai chi is good for reducing tension and stress. Exercising during your period shouldn’t put additional stress on the body, cause pain, or interfere with the normal process of your cycle. Exercise during your period can be beneficial, but there are certain things to avoid, including the following:
- Strenuous or prolonged exercise might not be good for the body when you are menstruating. This doesn’t mean you have to stop your normal training, but be cautious. One study found that 60 minutes of moderate to intense exercise during menstruation caused exercise-induced inflammation.
- Inversion-type yoga poses are thought by some to pull the uterus toward the head. Although there’s no scientific evidence for this theory, some believe that this can cause the broad ligaments that support the uterus to stretch and compress the veins that carry blood away from the uterus. This can lead to vascular congestion and increased bleeding because the arteries that supply the uterus continue to pump blood into the area.
- 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. Ignore the saying “no pain, no gain.” Listen to your body.
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