Ok, I would like to be convinced why we should not exercise if we are menstruating. I did a google search on this topic and I found no particular link saying you should really rest IF you do not suffer from major cramps or heavy bleeding.
Caution: This is only for those who do not have heavy bleeding or suffer badly during those days of the month!! Please do not exercise if you have heavy PMS or mensuration. All you can do is walk in such a case.
So, I do not really suffer from major issues during this time of the month. My blood flow is normal and I generally do not have anything major than leg pains and heavy feeling in the lower part of the body but that settles down if I rest properly.
When I did a google search, all I found was that you can walk, jog, run and even do Yoga during these days except for some of the inverted poses in the Yoga and even swim. Pranayam is specifically recommended for relaxation. Also, one can do Suryanamaskar or stretches or such exercises which do not involves stomach strains or back strain.
But, still, when I went for my Yoga classes (yup, will write about them) today, my acquaintances said I should only rest for the first three days. Now, you would obviously be interested in knowing how I managed an hour of the class.
Honestly, it wasn’t too bad. Some of the exercises I totally avoided because it was straining my back but I did do many Suranamaskars and other easy ones which were mostly stretches today. And, afterward, I was feeling pretty good. And, I didn’t really push myself more.
My legs weren’t heavy anymore. And, this is till now. I would check till tomorrow and let you know if I did really suffer anything major after having a good/bad night sleep 🙂 And, please do convince me if I should really avoid exercising altogether keeping in mind my state of periods.
Any doctor’s opinion would be welcome 🙂 And, am I relying on internet more than necessary?
I am pmsing and happy to stumble across this post. my legs feel terribly heavy right now? Do you get that sort of a feeling too?
oh yes!! yesterday, i worked from home just coz i didnt have the energy to get up in the morning and go to even bathroom 🙁 but, i did pick up courage by evening n went for yoga zabardasti 🙂
wow, good for you, yaar! pat on your back for going to yoga 🙂
hehe…thanks 🙂
I think a lot of people just take it as an excuse not to exercise during menstruation. For my part, I take only the first two days off but not because my body can’t handle it. It’s just that I normally workout 6-7 days a week and if I do have to take a break, I might as well take it when I am menstruating. I don’t know about others but personally, I feel much better and less tired when I exercise on the third day. I never get menstrual cramps or heavy flow but I have heard from friends that if they do light exercise, they get a little relief from cramps. No inverted Yoga and Pilates poses, of course. Or those rapid jumping jacks, intense kickboxing and what not. Also, it’s a great time to do upper body exercises like pushups or some light weight training for triceps, arms and upper back. That way your legs can stay relatively relaxed.
Nav
hey Nav, well, yup, it can be an excuse!! even I felt so but my acquaintances were so forceful when they said that the gynaecs said this n blah blah…I would love a good medical opinion on this in fact!
yes, its a time to do light exercises and it does relieve the cramps….yesterday, after doing exercises, i did feel a lot better than the entire day! and, this time, i didn’t have major issues during pms either which was great. i think its ok to do light ones. unnecessarily these days are made as demon days when we cant do anything but rest!!
I think it is a wise idea to exercise during menstruation for healthy circulation of the blood.
i usually tend to get stomach cramps during my periods.. so i stay away from exercising during menstruation..
let me tell u wat my exercise is.. its just brisk walking n some yoga at home.. 🙂
sometimes i avoid doing these before my menstruation commences too… my PMS includes heavy legs & breasts..:)
oh yes, stomach cramps!! they are so annoying 🙁 oh yes, you can’t do more exercise than that in such cases and one shouldn’t really push the body more…do only what they are comfortable with 🙂
i believe its all about how comfortable u are doing ur physical activities while menstruating..
one shouldn’t stretch or push themselves more & end up exerted than feeling fresh n energetic post exercising..
Very relevant post, Swati. Thanks for putting it up. I usually do not exercise per se during the first 2 days since I feel a bit weak and have body ache. That does not stop me from walking of course. And would love to hear about your yoga classes 🙂 .. so write about them fast!
yes, if you feel weak and something like that then no point doing it!! its all about how well we know our bodies and listen to our body 🙂
My trainer tells me light cardio can be done..but not strength training n weights..and even I dont have much of an issue..so 3rd day is fine..
yeah, i was asking around many people and everyone is of the opinion that its ok to go light 🙂
Actually it doesn’t matter if it’s light or vigorous in intensity. It’s ur comfort level that matters. If all the female athletes decides that they don’t wanna train much during their period days their fitness n form will b greatly affected.
But for those who get cramps and everything. I find having a more active lifestyle in general for all the other days help with the cramps because the body’s blood circulation is better 🙂
haha…true about the female athletes!!! and, yes, active life style helps with the cramps and PMS issues!!
i would suggest a bit of yoga or walking is good ,as rigours exercise is not good during menstruation,as for me i get bad cramps,so i dont walk ,ofcourse routine work has to be done
yup, exercise should be dependant on how much discomfort one feels…walking is the best in any case 🙂
i remember something from Oprah by Bob Greene telling that metabolism increases during menstruation(and hence the explanation behind that hunger at odd hours suddenly) & thus if we were to make use of this and exercisw we’d be burning more than what normally would on the same routine. But that means you need doctor’s advice.
I normally just stretch myself as these days are the horrifying days of my month__ non stop pain(i sometimes pass out due to that), excessive bleeding, heavy bloaty feeling, vomiting, feverish feeling, painful cramps, my legs just don’t want to move, empty painful lower abdominal feeling & yes, i have pcos and on treatment but to no avail..still the same except i am done with it within 5-6 days ‘cuz of the pill and not the 8 days of before. Hence, my body freaks out even on slight straind during this period.
oh my gosh…that is pretty bad that pain is so much that you pass out! not know that metabolism is high during those days. seems like it will be good to do some research on the topic! yeah, stretching is fine otherwise other things can actually affect the body negatively! better to be safe.