How Your Period May Affect Body Acceptance
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Back pain, nausea, and cramping are just a few of the well-known symptoms associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle. Finding holistic ways to alleviate some of these symptoms can sometimes be a challenge when aspirin or comfort food is usually the recommended go-to. One of the best ways to deal with an uncomfortable period is through exercise. “Working out can actually help relieve some period symptoms. Not only should you get plenty of exercises, but you’ll also feel better if you do, as exercise can help reduce cramps and boost your mood. It’s a win-win,” says Dr. Lori Shemek, Author of FATflammation.
The hormonal changes that women go through during their menstrual cycle can impact the body in various ways including headaches, diarrhea, cramping vomiting backaches, and nausea. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends at least 30 minutes of regular aerobic exercise most days of the week in order to improve these symptoms.
Here is a breakdown of the four phases of the female menstrual cycle:
Phase 1: The start of your period where the uterine lining breaks down and sheds which may cause cramping, along with low energy, aches, and pains. This is where you may experience a depletion of energy.
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Phase 2: The body is now preparing for ovulation, after the last day of your period your body prepares for ovulation and a mature egg. During this process, estrogen is produced, which may cause you to have a better mood and more energy.
Phase 3: This is where ovulation takes place, the mature egg is released and travels to the uterus to be fertilized by the sperm if contact is made, potential pregnancy occurs.
Phase 4: This last stage is known as the luteal phase. If the egg is not fertilized, estrogen and progesterone drop, and the breakdown of uterine tissue and your period begins. In the second half of this phase, you may experience moods ranging from anxiety to depression. Possible cramping and breast tenderness also may occur.
Now that you know the full scope of your menstrual cycle, discover the advantages and disadvantages of making time for exercise from the expert opinions below.
Exercise can help beat fatigue and improve mood.
A workout during this time of the month can help boost your mood and give you a jolt of energy to beat fatigue. As discussed the body goes through a number of hormonal highs and lows during this time of the month. Around 10 days before your period the body is preparing for fertilization. When that does not occur all the hormones that were helping to sustain the environment for fertilization are no longer needed causing the hormone levels to drop (this is Phase 4). These shifts are what cause exhaustion and is part of the body’s natural cycle.
You may also feel irritable or depressed due to the imbalance of estrogen and progesterone that can affect your levels of serotonin. This creation of emotions is a part of Premenstrual Syndrome also known as PMS. “Physical exercise can beat fatigue and headaches associated with premenstrual syndrome through releasing endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that provide the body with a feeling of euphoria and energy, as well as decrease the amount of pain perceived by the brain,” says Dr. Sarah G. Jamison, Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician
Your workout performance may vary during this time.
With all the cramping and bloating the effectiveness of your workouts still remains the same according to research on female athletes. Nonetheless, it's hard to feel productive, “...many women feel that even if they do workout, the workout will not be as quality as when they are not on their periods,” shares Dr. Shemek.
This is completely understandable, in some cases, you may not achieve the same type of workout you would days after your menstrual cycle has ended. Master Trainer for Aaptiv, Jaime McFaden says...” You may feel more fatigued than normal and you can feel less motivated but overall you are still capable of what you would normally do,”. It is important to keep in mind that the hormone relaxin will increase in the body, which softens the cervix to allow menstruation to occur. Relaxin will also increase the flexibility of ligaments and tendons making you more vulnerable to joint injury so opting for workouts you are most comfortable with is probably a good idea.
Overall you shouldn’t see too much change in your workout performance. “Even though you may feel “blah”, studies shown on a trained athlete show you can have some effects besides what it does to our tendons and ligaments. It was found that a trained individual has no change in aerobic performance or cardiovascular output throughout their monthly cycle. They did find that lactate production decreases during luteal phase (after ovulation when you’re not menstruating), which would correlate with recovering quicker at times without menstruation. APS. 1981 Dec,” says Dr. Jennifer Dour, Garden State Spinal Care L.L.C.
What workouts are best?
In some cases all you need is a quick workout to alleviate cramps, making it an excellent alternative to over-the-counter medicine. The goal is to get moving, once you get started you may feel fewer aches and cramps. McFaden recommends, …” HIIT, strength training and stretching to help your body and mind to feel better during that time of the month,” She goes on to suggest avoiding poses that may engorge the blood vessels in the uterus like handstands. This may cause more cramping and even more bleeding. Inversions during your menstrual cycle have been linked to an increased risk of endometriosis. The verdict is still out on this, and the choice truly varies from woman to woman.
Calming workouts like yoga and meditation can help with stress, and high energy workouts like dance and cardio can encourage the production of endorphins to support a good mood.
The next time you want to curl up in a ball and wait for the menstrual cycle to run its course consider these tips for soothing some discomfort that comes along with your period.