Having your period can feel like the worst thing sometimes. You feel sluggish, bloated, and generally just cranky and irritable about everything. Disappearing into your bed probably sounds like the best. That or devouring an entire tub of ice cream. We’ve all felt like a mess on our periods and any kind of movement, let alone exercise, may feel like the last thing on your mind when mother nature comes.
But that is not the case. You can exercise even while you are on your period. Exercising may even be beneficial for you as it can help decrease PMS symptoms, alleviate pain, as well as lessen some of your mood swings and irritability. However, exercising while you are on your period doesn’t equate to hitting the gym as intensely. Your routine should not be too rigorous but just enough to tap onto your endorphins, you know, that feel-good hormone.
That said, if you haven’t tried exercising on your period or are looking to try it, here are a couple of tips on how you could safely exercise while on your period.
Start Things Slow by Walking
Do you know how the saying goes, you must walk before you run? That is the case here, at least while you are on your period. If you are a bit hesitant to try other exercises or need an activity that you can easily fit into your day-to-day routine, try walking. Walking is very easy since we do it every day and there is no equipment needed.
You could easily walk by yourself to set your own pace or invite others with you. It could take place at the park, around your neighborhood, and you could even do walking meetings at work. Period or not, walking meetings are a fun way to bond with your coworkers while being productive. Plus, everyone would appreciate the change in scenery.
Remember to Wear the Right Outfit
Regardless of what activity or exercise you will be doing, it is important to plan. Whether it will be the place you are going or all the stuff you are going to bring like a water bottle or exercise mat. This also includes taking into consideration the outfit you will be wearing.
If you are just going for a walk, make sure to wear comfortable clothes that are easy to move around in. Planning on hitting the gym? Make sure to wear gym clothes. It also helps if you enlist the help of period underwear. Wearing one would prevent those dreaded period stains, which admittedly can be rather embarrassing especially if you are in public. No one wants to spend the rest of their time trying to get that period to stain out. Not to mention, this can take away the relaxing effect your exercise is supposed to bring.
Do Low Impact Exercises
Having your period doesn’t mean foregoing any exercise or physical activity. But it doesn’t mean you have to continue your usual workout routine either. This simply means cutting back. For this reason, the best exercises to try are yoga workouts as well as some stretching. These are classified as low-impact workouts, which means they are not as strenuous as lifting weights or doing crunches. It also won’t make you sweat like buckets.
Doing yoga or stretching can even be done while you are at home. It is also great for those with busy lifestyles. You can find yoga or stretching routines as short as 10 minutes if you are that pressed for time. That said, do look for ones that won’t require too complicated and inverse poses from your body as this might induce excessive bleeding. This would defeat the purpose of doing relaxing activities.
Avoid Straining Yourself
Doing light exercise on your period can help shake a bit of your sluggishness away. But be sure to take it easy on yourself. Try to limit your exercise to 30 minutes because if you exercise longer than that, it could be too strenuous for your body and it could even cause excessive tiredness, which is the opposite effect of what you are going for.
Also, be sure to listen to your body. If at any point while you are exercising you feel that you are tired, then you must stop and rest. Do not force yourself to continue. Should you feel pain or discomfort, then it is a surefire sign for you to slow down or even stop. Do not feel bad if you don’t finish your routine. Remember it is best not to put your body through additional stress. It is fine, this happens.
The bottom line? Exercising during your period does not mean going about your usual workout routine or completely stopping it. If done correctly, light exercise may even help reduce that sluggishness and tiredness you are feeling, just remember to take it easy and to listen to your body’s cues. Exercising during your period doesn’t even have to mean doing the same routine every day. It is all about finding what works for you so be sure to find one you will enjoy doing. Once you’ve made this a habit, then you’ll know what to do and you won’t feel as horrible and you can conquer your next period.
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