Exercise during menstruation: Helps or harms?

Exercise during menstruation - yes or no? Each of us has different cycle and we experience menstruation differently too. For someone it is regularly accompanied by strong pain and bleeding, others almost don't have to notice it and feel good even when bleeding. Whether you belong to one or other category, generally applies that sport and exercise during menstruation brings several advantages. Most experts agree that one should exercise even in this period, or even precisely then. Why? Read further.

3 myths associated with exercise during menstruation

1. Exercise during menstruation is not safe

If you don't overdo it, which however applies to exercise not only during menstruation, sport is safe and many experts even recommend it.

2. By exercising during menstruation you burn more calories

This claim is untrue, but during menstruation your body can put more strength into exercise. Read more about it below in article.

3. Before menstruation you gain weight

Neither this is true. If you noticed weight gain before menstruation, it is water retained in your organism. With start of menstruation body gets rid of it again.

Exercise alleviates PMS and menstrual symptoms

Regular exercise can help with sudden mood swings and overall weakness, which are often associated precisely with PMS. Besides that sport helps also with cramps and in some cases can regulate also menstruation, where heavy bleeding occurs. Doctor Stacy Sims explains that the more woman is overall active and the more regularly she moves, the more her menstruation adjusts to "normal".

I want to improve my fitness

Doctor Sims recommends HIIT trainings during menstruation, i.e. high-interval trainings. When you start menstruating, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop. For this reason women in this time have easy access to carbohydrates and glycogen compared to periods with high estrogen content. This in short means that your body has stronger drive and you can get more out of short and intense trainings.

Exercise during cycle: What training to choose

Female cycle has four phases, namely menstruation, follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase. Each phase is characterized by different hormone level, with which is related also our overall balance, mood and energy we can expend on common activities and also on sport. Knowing individual phases is important not only so we can explain why we feel what we feel right now, but we can also adapt training according to them.

• Menstruation (1st - 7th day of cycle)

In this phase you have low level of progesterone and estrogen and as we already stated above, precisely this period is great for harder challenges. Our body recovers faster in this phase. Suitable is to choose for example strength training.

• Follicular phase (8th - 13th day of cycle)

After menstruation follows follicular phase, during which estrogen level grows and helps muscles absorb more glucose. This gives us more energy for proper challenges. Try cardio training, interval training like HIIT or tabata.

• Ovulation (14th - 15th day)

Estrogen is just at its highest point, which helps overall concentration and connection with our body. Come work out and give it total body workout!

• Luteal phase (16th - 28th day)

Balance changes and currently you have higher level of progesterone, which causes inflammation and swelling. Choose gentler exercise, for example yoga or pilates.

Does exercise during menstruation bring certain risks?

Generally there is no reason to stop exercising during menstruation, rather opposite, as all mentioned benefits suggest. Of course menstruation is not like menstruation and some women fight extreme symptoms during it. If you feel very strong cramps and pain, better idea will probably be to treat yourself to rest. No need to force anything and it is important to listen to your body. However there is no list of exercises that are forbidden during menstruation.

Maybe you already heard about cases where women lost their cycle due to sport. That is however already extreme case and mostly concerns professional athletes, for whom exercise with load forms large percentage of time spent.

Source of information: health.com, boxrox.com