What do Doctors Say about Doing Sports During Menstruation?
Pain, cramps, and discomfort during the periods make a lot of women stay home instead of going to the gym. However, doctors have a different opinion on the situation. They strongly recommend keeping to the usual training schedule as sports can only do better to the woman’s condition. Let’s see what are the pros of exercising on “these” days and in what cases a visit to the gym may be delayed.
Sports can reduce pain
One of the studies, which was published in the Journal of Pain research in 2012 states that 84.1% of women experience some kind of menstrual pain. However, some types of workouts can help women reduce or even get rid of pain quite effectively. Doing yoga or Pilates can help to relax and “feel” the body. And it has been long ago proven that one can mild the pain by relaxing the muscles.
Even though there are only little studies on how sports affect menstruation, all of them tend to show a positive impact on both the physical and emotional state of women.
Physical exercises improve the mood
Mood swings and depression-like symptoms are not rare in women approaching the day of their period. These unpleasant signs can also be eased by spending an hour or so doing light cardio or aerobic exercises. Workout gives way to increased production of endorphins. These are the hormones of happiness, as they are often called. Endorphins can help to raise the spirits and feel better.
What’s more, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends aerobic exercises for diminishing the PMS symptoms in women.
When is it better to stay home?
Doctor Amanda Daley form the University of Birmingham says that despite the recommendations and positive results of the studies, women should be careful not to overdo in their aspiration to ease the PMS or menstrual pain. Sports should be done in moderation. You can shorten the time spent in the gym or take less load while training. Anyway, listening to your body is a must.
In case you don’t feel like training on “these” days, you’d better substitute sports with a stroll or bicycle walk. They would do good for your overall health condition and you won’t need to make yourself go to the gym. This is the only idea that all the doctors share.
