Workouts and periods. Is it possible to work out in the gym while on your period?

• July 10, 2018
• Workouts in the gym
• Marina Pislegina

Is it possible to play sports during menstruation? This is a question asked by many girls who do not want to stop training even on critical days. Scientists have now found that playing sports does not harm women at all; moreover, it helps them improve their mood and even their well-being during menstruation. However, you should not get too carried away with physical activity on such days. You will learn more about all this from this article.

A short introduction

So, many representatives of the fair sex are interested in the question of whether training and menstruation are compatible, or is it better to refrain from physical activity on such days? The answer in this case will be ambiguous.

It has always been believed that sports should not be played during menstruation, because the body is already weakened, and the girl may lose consciousness from pain. But now everything has changed significantly. Moreover, even medical experts advise girls to exercise during their periods if they feel well. In this case, it all depends on the characteristics of each girl’s body.

Running at the beginning of critical days

Most often, women are concerned about whether they can run on the first day of their period. In the first 1–2 days of menstruation, doctors advise refraining from physical exercise, due to the fact that the women’s body is significantly weakened during this period. It is recommended to play sports no earlier than on the 3rd day if the woman feels better.

The reason why you should not run during menstruation is an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, as a result of which there is a possibility of disruption of the process of endometrial separation.

During the premenstrual period, sports are also allowed.

The only negative consequence of running during menstruation may be an increase in the amount of bleeding. In order to cope with this problem, you need to follow these recommendations:

1. Use personal hygiene products with a high level of protection against possible leaks. These can be pads or tampons that have a gel base.
2. You need to run in comfortable and loose clothing.
3. It is important not to forget about water procedures on menstruation days. After all, water is a source of energy, relaxing and giving strength.
4. If you are unable to take a shower, use various gels and wipes designed for feminine intimate hygiene. It is important to choose such products of high quality and only natural ones.
5. During menstruation, you need to do physical activity without going to the pool or sauna.
6. After training, do not forget to praise yourself for the work done. But it is better to exclude the encouragement of sweet and fatty foods. You can eat dried fruits or fresh fruits and vegetables, you can also drink sweet tea with honey or sugar. These foods help restore the body and give it energy for the whole day.

Choose for yourself when it is more convenient and comfortable to start training (in the morning or evening), because this is a matter of individual preference. Consider whether it will be possible to take a shower at the end of your workout and be on time for work if you prefer morning jogging.

Important

Still, are training and periods compatible? The answer will be positive, but it is best to refrain from strength training. Moreover, you should not pump up your abs or do certain exercises that involve the abdominal muscles. This can increase menstrual pain.

The most important thing I wanted to say here is that menstruation is not a disease, but a natural state of any healthy woman. Therefore, if a girl feels well, then she can go to the gym and continue training.

What it is

Here I would like to say that menstruation implies detachment of the functional layer of the endometrium, accompanied by bleeding. In other words, if a woman does not become pregnant during the ovulation period, then her menstruation begins on time. This process is accompanied by general malaise, pain in the lower abdomen, and the temperature may even rise. Everyone's periods are different. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the woman’s body.

But is it possible to go to the gym during your period? The answer in this case will be positive if the woman’s menstruation does not affect her general condition. If a girl feels unwell and has severe pain in her lower abdomen, legs and lower back tension, then it is best to abstain from physical activity for several days. This is necessary to prevent increased bleeding. This rule must be remembered.

Sports during menstruation: benefits and harm

In fact, correct physical activity has a positive effect on a woman’s body. This is expressed in:

• Reducing pain during menstrual bleeding
• Improving blood circulation
• Eliminating PMS
• Normalization of an unstable cycle

Harm to the female body can only be caused by incorrect loads during menstruation, as well as neglect of personal hygiene rules during training and continuation of exercises despite poor health.

General points

Is it possible to work out in the gym while on your period? Here it must be said that every woman experiences menstruation differently. Some girls feel only a slight malaise and mild pain in the lower abdomen. For some, these days pass very quickly (in about three days) and are completely painless. And there are categories of women for whom, during menstruation, it is even difficult to get up from the couch for five or seven days.

In such a situation, a girl must decide for herself whether to go to the gym for training or not, based on her own feelings and well-being.

When is it better to abstain from sports?

There are certain restrictions during a woman’s monthly cycle. Why some women should not exercise during menstruation:

• if you feel unwell during training;
• if you experience abdominal pain
• if you have headaches;
• there were serious injuries in the female reproductive system;
• relapses were observed after receiving other injuries;
• there are serious diseases (cyst, endometriosis, fibrosis, uterine prolapse and others);
• hormonal imbalance was detected;
• with heavy bleeding.

Thus, general malaise, the presence of illnesses, injuries and other factors that interfere with sports activities indicate abstinence from training on prescribed days.

Also, many doctors advise girls from 10 to 17 years old not to train excessively or completely abandon this activity for a while due to the incomplete development of the female reproductive system and the elimination of possible consequences from health procedures. They should limit themselves to minimal exercise, such as walking, morning exercises, and light cardio. Many gynecologists do not recommend swimming for the sole reason that it is undesirable for girls under 18 to use tampons, and there is no other way to swim in the pool.

A small characteristic

For certain reasons, people of the older generation believe that training and menstruation are two incompatible concepts. Previously, young girls not only did not go to school on critical days, but many of them were even given three days off in order to get into their usual shape.

However, the previous rules no longer apply. Moreover, scientists have found that playing sports in the gym promotes a faster outflow of blood during menstruation; it does not stagnate in the woman’s pelvic organs, and therefore there is no severe pain. Therefore, girls who are constantly involved in fitness should not stop training even on critical days. Moreover, if the latter feel more or less normal during menstruation.

Nuances

I would also like to say a few words about when training and menstruation are not compatible with each other. This happens if a woman feels cramping pain in the lower abdomen, and at the same time it constantly intensifies with any movement. In such a situation, you should not go to extremes and it is necessary to reschedule classes for several days until the girl’s condition improves.

However, even in this case, you should not spend the entire day in bed in a supine position. Many gynecologists say that to reduce and even relieve pain, you need to move more and take walks in the fresh air. This will help lift a woman's mood during menstruation.

If the pain seems unbearable to a woman, then you can take a painkiller. But this is done only in the most extreme cases.

If a woman’s health is normal and nothing hurts, then she needs to pack her bag with her gym uniform and go to training. But it’s not worth overexerting too much. This must be remembered.

How to train depending on the phase of the cycle

In the first, follicular, phase of the cycle, the body is most adapted to strength training. The body tries to use up reserves of carbohydrates (glycogen); therefore, during the follicular phase of the cycle, it is necessary to increase the amount of carbohydrates consumed and regularly consume proteins.

In the second phase of the cycle, hunger increases, and the metabolic rate also increases. The body tends to use fat as its main fuel, so it is necessary to consume sufficient amounts of fats, proteins and fewer carbohydrates.

During the luteal phase, it is necessary to reduce the amount of intense training, which is associated with the risk of overheating. Drink more high-sodium water in phase two.

In the first phase of the cycle we work on strength, in the second we reduce the load

Drawing conclusions from all of the above, we can say that the most favorable time for physical activity is the period of menstruation and the first phase of the cycle, which allows you to spend a significant amount of accumulated reserves and does not lead to disturbances in homeostasis.

In the second phase of the cycle, it is possible to conduct high-intensity training, but very quickly you can become overtired and disrupt the water-electrolyte balance of the body, which will not lead to good results in training and competitions, and may lead to the need for a longer recovery of the body.

What to pay attention to

Exercising in the gym during menstruation is not prohibited and is even useful, especially if the woman feels well. But it is necessary to reduce physical activity.

It is worth paying special attention to the following points during training during menstruation:

• if you have painful menstruation, you should avoid abdominal exercises, squats, and deadlifts (otherwise this may increase bleeding);
• On critical days, it is best to work out on a treadmill or jump rope - this increases the outflow of blood and avoids its accumulation;
• you need to reduce the intensity of the workout, instead of doing two approaches, do only one;
• you can do Pilates or yoga;
• After training you need to relax and unwind.

Following such simple rules will help a woman not to stop exercising even on critical days, but will make them less painful.

Alternatives to running

Running is a kind of sport in which there are quite high loads on the lower limbs. Of course, if a woman is overweight or has problems with her leg joints, running may not be the best choice. But somehow you need to lose weight? Luckily, there are many other ways to achieve this effect.

Walking

According to research, when walking fast, the body burns only a third less calories than when running. If this walking is Scandinavian, then the burning intensifies even more. At the same time, due to the use of poles, muscle groups that are almost never used by runners are actively included in the work. By the way, walking does not load the joints and does not injure the knees and ankles.

Question to the expert

I recently started running and my periods disappeared. Can one be related to the other?

It is possible that this is related. But it is possible that there is no connection. There are many reasons for the absence of menstruation, and physical activity is only one of them. True, for this you just have to exhaust yourself on the treadmill. In any case, the disappearance of menstruation is a medical problem and it is better for you to consult a gynecologist for examination.

Pilates and bodyflex

These two sports are based on breathing techniques and exercises that do not involve sudden and strong movements. Increasing tone, improving overall well-being, normalizing metabolism, stretching and increasing muscle strength - these are the effects of these two sports.

FAQ

So, is it possible to go to the gym during your period so as not to miss workouts? The answer to this question will be ambiguous. As stated earlier, training during menstruation promotes a faster flow of menstrual blood and does not allow it to accumulate. This helps reduce pain in women on such days. But you shouldn’t work out hard on exercise machines or do abdominal exercises during this period of time.

Is it possible to go to the gym during menstruation if menstruation is quite painful? If a girl feels severe pain in the lower abdomen and has difficulty moving even within her own home, then she should refrain from physical activity until the end of her critical days. Otherwise, you can only increase the bleeding and even lose consciousness and end up in the hospital.

Whether to go to the gym or not directly depends on the health status of the woman herself. If she doesn’t have any pain, then she may well continue to train the muscles of her body during this period of time. Here you need to take into account the individual characteristics of each girl’s body.

The effect of menstruation on the body

From an early age, women know how often their periods come. In simple terms, menstruation is a natural physiological process that confirms a woman’s ability to become pregnant.

Ideally, the period of menstruation is painless and is not accompanied by severe blood loss and a sharp deterioration in health. At the same time, menstruation introduces changes in the composition of the blood: the number of red blood cells decreases. As a result, there is a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood and the flow of oxygen to the internal organs. These days, mood swings, some deterioration in well-being and decreased performance are possible. Blood pressure and heart rate may be unstable due to hormonal changes. Unnecessarily stimulating changes in heart rate through exercise can have a negative impact on your well-being.

In order to answer the question of whether it is possible to run during menstruation, it is necessary to assess the harm, how exactly your body tolerates these changes and how running can be beneficial during these days.

Helpful advice

You can go to the gym during your period, but you should reduce the force load on your abdominal muscles several times. This will help avoid excessive bleeding.

During her period, a woman is recommended to do upper body training (for example, dumbbell presses, lateral raises). Abdominal exercises should be avoided.

In general, on such days the most useful physical activities can be:

• yoga;
• breathing practices;
• long walks in the fresh air (of course, when it’s not hot outside).

You need to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, and refrain from consuming caffeine, because it increases pain during menstruation.

Recommendations

Can I go to the gym while on my period? As stated earlier, the answer to this question will be ambiguous. On the one hand, you can go to training, but you need to avoid increased physical activity. But according to some doctors, women with health problems should avoid training on such days. This applies to those girls who have been diagnosed with various gynecological diseases.

Therefore, before visiting the gym during your period, you need to visit a gynecologist and get advice from him regarding physical activity during your period.

In addition, women need to reduce their salt intake during this period of time. Because during menstruation, salt already accumulates in the body, and if it is consumed heavily, it will linger for some time and cause swelling.

How do hormones affect training?

Menstruation is a process regulated by sex hormones. In order for menstruation to begin, the level of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body must decrease sharply. 1-2 days before the start of menstruation and in its first days, the level of estrogen in the blood is at a minimum. Namely, they are responsible for the blood supply to tissues, regulate the pain threshold and metabolism, and also contribute to a good mood and high motivation, including for sports.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Estrogen makes working out much more satisfying and produces better results. Therefore, from the point of view of the state of the body during menstruation, the effectiveness of exercise may decrease somewhat. On the other hand, the level of the hormone testosterone during this period is slightly higher, which means that the strength characteristics of the muscles increase. Therefore, strength training during menstruation may be more effective.

More

So, here I would like to say that every girl and woman feels completely differently during menstruation. Some ladies can be very irritable, while others, on the contrary, are very quiet and calm.

In pursuit of a beautiful figure, many women train their buttocks every day, not sparing themselves, but during menstruation it is better to refrain from serious physical activity.

In order to significantly reduce pain during menstrual periods, you need to exercise more often in the gym on a machine such as a bicycle. This helps improve blood circulation in the pelvic organs and therefore avoid intolerable, painful periods.

Bottom line

Here again I would like to emphasize that menstruation in a woman is not a disease, but a normal physiological phenomenon that does not require specific treatment. Yes, many girls need rest during their periods due to severe pain. However, this does not mean that you need to lie in bed throughout your period and take pills. If possible, you need to move more, because physical activity during menstruation not only improves the flow of menstrual blood, but also helps get rid of pain and bad mood.

How does the female cycle work?

Women differ from men in that their bodies undergo regular cyclical changes in the reproductive system that allow a woman to become pregnant. These changes are called the menstrual cycle.

A normal menstrual cycle lasts 21-35 days, and the duration of menstruation itself varies from 2 to 7 days. On average, a girl’s first menstruation (menarche) begins at 12-13 years old and ends (menopause) at 50-55 years old.

In obstetrics and gynecology, the ideal cycle is considered to be 28 days, when calculated from the first day of menstrual bleeding to the first day of the next menstruation.

During the menstrual cycle, natural hormonal fluctuations occur, which divide the cycle into phases

The first phase of the cycle - follicular or proliferative - is characterized by an increase in the level of estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). During this phase, menstrual bleeding occurs directly, after which the endometrium begins its proliferation and the maturation of the dominant follicle.

At the peak of LH and FSH, the dominant follicle ruptures, that is, ovulation. In an ideal menstrual cycle, this occurs on the 14th day of the cycle.

marathon and half marathon training plans and start training today!

From the 14th to the 28th day of the cycle, the luteal, or secretory, phase begins, which is no longer subordinate to estrogens, but to progesterone, although the level of estrogen still remains quite high. During this phase, the endometrium prepares for implantation of the fertilized egg: its proliferation and accumulation of nutrients continue, and the ovulated dominant follicle transforms into the corpus luteum.

If implantation of the fertilized egg does not occur, then endometrial rejection occurs, which is manifested by menstrual bleeding and transformation of the corpus luteum into white.