In today’s world where a slim waist and overall fitness has been so stressed upon, People sometimes tend to go crazy about their exercise routine and those strict diets. Where counting calories has become so common and missing onto a workout feels like a sin, sometimes that uninvited period lady knocks in and tries to ruin your whole workout regime. Where it is not just bleeding that it brings along but is mostly accompanied by cramps, abdominal pain, fatigue and those never ending mood swings. Where even after going through all this, exercising and workout routine can not take a backseat for some, they tend to go to the gym and continue working out even when the abdominal muscles hurt. There is nothing wrong with this kind of dedication and self motivation, but there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration while working out during this time of the month. As your body is already going through a lot, keeping it active is good but surely by following a few rules so that you do not hurt yourself any further. In order to help you out to get the best out of your period exercise routine and to decrease the discomfort caused while exercising during this time of the month here we have some do’s and don’ts that you can follow while exercising on your period. Where that is not all we have included some of the benefits of exercising during periods so that you can keep yourself motivated and not miss that gym class.
Benefits of Exercising During Periods
Where exercise becomes the last thing on the to do list for many of us and all we want to do is curl up inside a blanket and enjoy a nice and warm hot chocolate. However tempting it might sound but this can surely ruin all the hard work that you have been doing in gym and strict diets that you followed.
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Although we all crave for some comfort and a break from our workout routine during our periods, it can drag you back to square one. In order to avoid this one follow some light exercises that are low on intensity than their regular workout routine. While pinning yourself is really important, exercising on your periods not just helps you to stay in that routine and bring you closer to your fitness goals but also comes with some other added benefits. Exercising on periods is known to decrease the symptoms of PMS or the Premenstrual Syndrome such as-
- Depression
- Nausea
- Mood swings
- Cramps
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Irritability
- Anxiety
Not just alleviating the PMS symptoms but keeping yourself active and working out on your periods could actually help you to enhance your mood. This happens as while exercising the natural endorphin levels of the body becomes high and results in enhancing your mood which provides a bit of comfort and relief during those uncomfortable periods.
Do’s & Don’ts
While exercising on your periods is not the same as exercising on other days, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration. As your body is losing blood and the energy levels are not the same as before. Not just the energy level has reduced but you are already feeling a lot of discomfort due to those cramps and abdominal pain. As so many things are going on with your body during this time and hormonal levels keep on fluctuating too, it is important to stay physically fit but take care of your body as well. In order to avoid any kind of discomfort and still keep you on track of your fitness routine, here are a few things and exercises that you should practice during your periods and some that should be totally avoided.
Do’s: Exercises to Perform
Where you need to listen to your body when working out during your periods as it is already going through a lot. These light exercises can help you out in reducing the muscle soreness, breast tenderness, cramps and fatigue caused during periods. Here are some exercises that you can follow during your periods.
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- Light walk- When we say light walk, we do mean that you should keep it light. This low intensity cardiovascular workout does not require a lot of energy and some special equipment to be performed. Go out, look around, take a nice walk for as long as you want to and adjust your speed and pace according to your comfort level.
- Strength training- Keeping your strength training workout light and nice can take you a long way during your periods by increasing the strength of your body. Following light strength training exercises by using light weights is a gentle way to keep your body going.
- Cardio- An exercise that you should try performing towards the end of your periods. Performing light cardio exercises such as swimming, jogging or cycling are said to be good during this time as the lungs are sad to be working better during this time.
- Yoga- Above all exercises, yoga is something that you definitely practice during that time of the month. An exercise that benefits a person physically, mentally and spiritually, yoga comes with a lot many benefits during periods. Practicing yoga would not just help you to keep yourself active and workout those muscles but also to reduce the PMS symptoms.
Don’ts: Exercises to Avoid
Where we have learnt all about the benefits of exercising during periods and some of the exercises that must be included in our fitness routine during periods. It is now time to take a quick look at some of the exercises that you should not indulge in while on your periods.
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Also Read: Can Yoga Relieve Menstrual Pain? These Asanas Might Help
- Inversion Yoga- Where yoga is one of the best exercises to be performed during this time of the month, one thing that should be kept in mind is that one needs not to indulge themselves into the inversion yoga techniques. Practicing these exercises can actually lead to causing the condition of Vascular congestion. As a person practices inversion yoga during their periods, the ligaments supporting the uterus tend to stretch out which then results in carrying the blood away from the uterus causing the condition of vascular congestion.
- Heavy exercise- An umbrella term for all the exercises from heavy weight lifting to brisk walking. These kinds of exercises should be avoided during the time of periods as they drain out your whole energy. Moreover any moderate exercise when practiced for a long duration during this time can increase the risk of causing something known as the- exercise induced inflammation.
