It’s that time of the month again. You just found your fitness groove and were planning on taking that new HIIT class at the gym, but your monthly visitor is about to force a rain check. You’re tired, uncomfortable, bloated, and absolutely annoyed.
The timing seems bad and you’re struggling with the idea of parting with your heating pad and trekking to the land of sweat and lifting. Why would you want to put any effort into making your way to the gym, being surrounded by others, and risking the chance of leaking?
Here’s why.
We don’t see too many people jump for joy when those first signs of menstruation appear. It can be painful, but it can also be just plain annoying. Dealing with the annoyances brought along by menstruation is a task in itself, but if you decide to add some level of physical activity to that task list, you may help alleviate some of those annoyances.
The many benefits of working out while you flow include…
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- Enhanced blood circulation and ease of cramps
- Boost in mood and ease of PMS symptoms
- Fatigue and headache relief
- Naturally regulated periods
Of course, you should alwayslisten to your body. Your body will tell you just how much physical activity you should be getting. Some of us will be able to do intense workouts while some of us will be better off with a more gentle practice. The benefits of working out are great, but if your body needs rest, there’s no shame in calling it.
It may come as a shock to some of us that menstruation time is actually a great time to work out. Our body obviously goes through hormonal shifts throughout the menstrual cycle, and at the point of menstruation, the female hormonal balance becomes more masculine.
Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels during the week of menstruation and even during the week following. So, metabolically, our bodies experience physical activity the way a male body does on any normal day.
This means that our pain tolerance is higher and our bodies recover faster. The body isn’t focused on preparing for pregnancy, so it can focus on other functions. We’re then likely to feel more powerful because other systems can operate optimally.
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This is the perfect time to really challenge yourself and intensify your workout by adding reps, increasing weight, or placing more sprints into the cardio mix.
The female body is truly an amazing wonder to behold, but it does have its limits and we should be aware of them. While different schools of thought may debate on this, it is commonly known thatmenstruating bodies should avoid inversion. It’s a long-standing debate, but the idea is that being upside down, or perhaps being inverted for too long, can trigger vascular congestion in the uterus.
Sounds pretty bad, right? It simply means that the uterus can engorge, or swell, leading to more bleeding and subsequently more cramps. If yoga will be your go-to fitness format during your period, it’s best to steer clear of plow pose or any head and shoulder stands.
We all experience our menses differently. Some of us have it way harder than others, so again, there’s no shame in taking some time to rest and care for the body. Cramps, discomfort, and pain come with our cycles and if you’re determined to stay active, keeping track of your cycle is the best way to stay prepared.
If you know your period is going to start soon, some doctors would recommend taking pain relief pills one to two days before to avoid the awful initial cramping that’ll keep you bed-ridden. If leakage is a concern, try exploring your options. Tampons and pads are no longer our only option as menstrual cups and panties-for-periods make their way to the mainstream.
There’s no such thing as the perfect period. We can only do our best to make ourselves more comfortable and try to alleviate the associated symptoms. If this hasn’t been enough to convince you to keep moving despite your period, think about the bloating.
Sweat = water expel = bloat relief
You got this.
Jasmine Danielle is a Los Angeles based dancer and fitness trainer. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has studied with FiTour, the National Federation of Personal Trainers, and the Equinox Group Fitness Training Institute. Jasmine is currently a Group Fitness Instructor for Equinox, Everybody Los Angeles, and Sandbox Fitness. Her fitness modalities include ballet, dance cardio, barre fitness, TRX, treadmill interval training, cardio kickboxing, jump rope, indoor cycling, and metabolic conditioning.
