Physical activity during menstruation. Is it possible to exercise during menstruation?

To always look slim and sexy, modern women They pay a lot of attention to their figure: they try to eat right (often they even go on a strict diet), spend more time on fresh air. One of the most effective methods To bring your figure to the desired parameters, play sports. But once you enter normal schedule workouts in the gym, when your period begins, you no longer have the strength or desire to continue exercising. Some girls believe that it is impossible to play sports during menstruation, but is this really so?

In this article we’ll talk about whether you should stop playing sports during menstruation. What exercises are acceptable during menstruation, and which ones should you avoid?

There is no consensus among doctors about whether it is possible to play sports during menstruation or not. But most doctors say that you shouldn’t completely eliminate training; you just need to limit the load by about a third. There are also a number of exercises that should definitely be excluded in order to avoid complications of menstruation or even the occurrence of gynecological diseases.

What are the benefits of exercise during menstruation?

Menstruation is not a disease, but when it occurs, a woman feels discomfort, heaviness in the lower abdomen, and her chest may ache. And no one has canceled the psychological factor: irritability, mood swings, apathy - all this leaves an imprint on well-being and daily routine. However, doctors have found that light physical activity reduces the symptoms of PMS and alleviates ailments during menstruation. Small but regular workouts improve blood circulation, relieve bloating in the intestines, reduce chest pain and improve mood: after training, a woman is satisfied with the work done, which means she is satisfied with herself.

The first day of your period is usually the most difficult and painful, so training should be as gentle as possible - you should reduce the number of repetitions of the exercises and reduce the duration of the workout. In the following days, depending on how you feel, you can slightly increase the load.

Small motor activity accelerates the production of endorphins - hormones of happiness. Regular exercise helps alleviate PMS symptoms, makes a woman less capricious and irritable, increases the efficiency of building an ideal figure.

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What sports can you do while on your period?

Considering physiological characteristics during menstruation, not every type of physical exercise is allowed during menstruation. Some exercises simply cause pain, and there are others that can cause serious pathology. So, what sports are acceptable during menstruation? Let's list:

  • Jogging – moderate jogging eliminates high stress, the abdominal muscles are not tense, so jogging is great for doing during menstruation. You can run either outdoors or on a treadmill in the gym or at home. On the first day of menstruation, it is better to limit the running load to just a couple of minutes, on the second and third - half the usual load, in subsequent days - 70-80% of the normal load.
  • Bodyflex, shaping, Pilates - if you feel normal, training will only be a joy. Abdominal and Strengthening Exercises pelvic muscles we skip, the rest - at 70% of the usual load.
  • Stretching is a set of stretching exercises that is great for starting a workout.
  • Yoga – suitable for training at any time. In addition, yoga has a special course of physical exercises recommended for PMS and menstruation.
  • Swimming - of course, not every girl during her period will decide to dive into the pool, but to reduce the intensity of pain in the lower abdomen and soreness mammary glands measured swimming will be very useful. If you wish, you can do water aerobics. But it is better not to swim in rivers, lakes and seas during menstruation.

What exercises are contraindicated during menstruation?

  • Jumping in place, jumping rope.
  • Rotations of the body, twisting of the torso.
  • Exercise for the abdominal and lower back muscles.
  • Lifting weights.
  • Running with acceleration.
  • Pull-up on the horizontal bar.
  • Strength exercises on machines.
  • Aerobic training to burn fat.

As you can see, you should exclude any sudden movements and focus on measured ones. It is also necessary to reduce the duration of the workout - reduce the number of repetitions of the exercises performed.

If your menstruation is heavy, you are worried about dizziness, circles before your eyes, general weakness, or even a fever, then you should not exercise today.

In what cases is it forbidden to exercise during menstruation?

Physical activity- this, of course, is good, but there are situations when during menstruation any physical activity can only do harm. First of all, we are talking about uterine fibroids and endometriosis, although with any gynecological disease Before purchasing a gym membership, you should consult with your gynecologist about the specifics of physical activity.

On what day of your period can you exercise?

On the first day of menstruation, against the background of low estrogen and increased progesterone, the girl feels a loss of strength and a feeling of depression. Physical activity in this state is poorly tolerated and further weakens the body. And I don’t want to do anything. If you still managed to get ready for training, then make it as simple as possible - stretching and jogging.

On the second or third day it already becomes easier: you can slightly increase the load, but not more than half of your usual norm.

On the fourth day, your health improves significantly, endurance and estrogen levels in the blood increase. If menstruation proceeds according to a standard program (without complications, pain, suspicious discharge), then you can do regular training (except for exercises contraindicated during menstruation).

During your period, it is better to wear dark-colored pants or shorts when working out so as not to worry that a small leak will be clearly visible to others. During training, drink plenty of fluids: this way you can avoid dehydration, relieve fatigue and reduce soreness. Regular mineral water- what you need. But it’s better not to drink Coca-Cola or coffee during menstruation - caffeine only worsens menstrual ailments.

In general, playing sports during menstruation is not prohibited, but some exercises are unacceptable. Physical activity during menstrual periods should be moderate, but under no circumstances should you completely abandon it. Exercising during menstruation will help alleviate any ailments that arise and improve your psycho-emotional state.

Fanaticism when doing fitness is useful only in measured quantities. Women should exercise very carefully during menstruation. Therefore, when deciding whether to attend training or play sports during your period, you must be guided not only by your desires, but also by medical recommendations.

Menstruation and sports

Is it possible to exercise during menstruation?

Menstruation affects a woman’s body not only during its immediate course, but also in the pre- and postmenstrual period. Therefore, it is necessary to understand whether it is possible to play sports during menstruation from different time points of view.

Opinion of gynecologists?


Menstruation prevents girls from going to the gym and making love. But if a person wants to know how not to skip workouts and feel good, then they need to see a doctor.

Is it possible to exercise during menstruation - the opinion of gynecologists:

Experts have a clear position on the question of whether it is possible to exercise on exercise machines during menstruation. Depriving the body of habitual physical activity during menstruation is harmful and has a negative impact on a woman: venous outflow from the pelvic organs decreases, which worsens metabolic processes in the uterus.

It is advisable to avoid training the muscles of the lower back and abs; you should not make sudden movements, twist the body, or do exercises in the gym that load the spine.

Restrictions on intense training during menstruation are recommended in the first three days of a five-day cycle and the first two days of a three-day cycle. Passion for fitness during menstruation should not be accompanied by fatigue, holding your breath, or intense sweating. Light walking, cycling, stretching exercises, yoga, Pilates are recommended.

What happens if you exercise during your period?


An increase in the concentration of progesterone in the blood of women in the first days of menstruation leads to the entry of additional fluid into the tissue, which reduces the strength and endurance of muscle fibers. In addition, blood loss accelerates the onset of fatigue during exercise. Therefore, the effectiveness of sports exercises during menstruation remains questionable.

Heavy physical exercise lead to an increase intra-abdominal pressure, which at the beginning of critical days can lead to stimulation of endometrial detachment and increased uterine bleeding. If a woman is involved in intense sports, then hormonal surges in the first days of menstruation can also cause cycle failure and even the onset of amenorrhea.
Don't be upset when you see scanty discharge from the vagina. Even if they completely disappeared or did not start, continuing to exercise can help return the cycle to normal.

Can I miss my period because of sports?

In the first days of playing sports, the blood supply to the pelvic area sharply increases, which changes the hormonal balance. This often disrupts the usual menstrual cycle and can cause either a delay in menstruation or an early start. If there is no menstruation on the planned date, you can take a pregnancy test, and then blame physical training for the disturbances in the body.

Why is it possible that there is no menstruation when the question of pregnancy is removed:

  1. Due to the sharp increase in training intensity. Breakdowns can also occur in professional athletes before serious competitions.
  2. Due to chronic fatigue from regular exercise if the woman does not sleep enough and limits intake nutrients diets.
  3. Health problems not related to physical activity. These could be tumors inflammatory diseases uterus and ovaries.

Most menstrual irregularities in women at the beginning of fitness are not dangerous and go away on their own within two to three months. The menstrual cycle is restored, but its duration may change.

Exercising on the first day of your period

There is no need to wonder about exercising at the beginning of menstruation: they are contraindicated.

How many days you cannot exercise depends on the usual duration of menstruation: the recommended period of abstinence is half the time of menstruation.

Is it possible to engage in fitness with periodic dysmenorrhea? It is better to discuss it with a gynecologist, because these activities can both stabilize the menstrual cycle and disrupt the body’s activities.

If during the first exercise after menstruation the lower abdomen hurts, then training should be stopped immediately and a two-day break should be taken to monitor your health. It is also undesirable to drink stimulating drinks, cola, or coffee before training: they increase menstrual pain, which initiates a stress chain of reactions. But during this period, a woman who plays sports should drink a lot of ordinary mineral water so that she can compensate for the loss of water through sweat.

Is it possible to play sports if your period is late?


Pregnancy is a contraindication if you want to engage in intense training, therefore, if there is any delay in menstruation, the woman should stop these activities until the test result is received. If pregnancy is not confirmed, and there is no pain, discharge or discomfort in the lower abdomen, then physical activity can be continued, reducing its intensity by 30 percent.

Instead of training in the gym, you can walk, run and do gymnastics. The mobility of joints and the elasticity of the body's ligaments increases during menstruation, so the effectiveness of stretching exercises will be excellent, even if your period does not come on time.

If a woman starts going to fitness, then at first she needs to monitor her genital area, and if painful spasms or other symptoms occur, be sure to ask questions to the doctor. You should not self-medicate, thinking that the problems will disappear on their own.

Every girl knows firsthand about severe pain these days". But when regular cycle menses, healthy life and proper nutrition, pain can fade away. Medicines will also help get rid of the pain. hygiene products, which contain analgesic components.

In modern life there is no time to get sick and unwell, and you also need to always be in shape. Fortunately, nowadays there are many personal hygiene products that help you feel confident when your period arrives. Playing sports also helps keep your body in good shape. But here the question arises: is it possible to play sports and or?

What is the connection between periods and sports?

All doctors unanimously insist that physical activity is prohibited for chronic or acute diseases, serious injury or acute intoxication body. But no one is talking about banning sports during menstruation. After all, menstruation is a natural physiological state of a woman, which is inherent in every girl who has reached puberty.

Many scientists are confident that during menstruation, a woman’s hormonal background is very similar to a man’s. The level of female hormones - estrogen and progesterone - decreases, and therefore girls' endurance increases and metabolism accelerates. This means that we can conclude that sports these days are even very useful. It has been recorded that many participants in sports competitions often won or even set records during menstruation.

Exercising during menstruation gives positive result, namely:

  • endorphins (hormones of joy) are released, which in turn reduce pain, improve mood, well-being, and reduce the risk of depression, tearfulness, aggression and apathy;
  • body tone increases;
  • decrease painful sensations in the chest and lower back;
  • endurance increases;
  • metabolism accelerates;
  • blood circulation improves;
  • Abdominal bloating goes away.

But there are also reasons why you shouldn’t combine periods and sports. These include:

  • heavy bleeding;
  • severe outbreaks of pain, especially when moving;
  • weakness, lethargy, nausea and dizziness, especially in the first days.

It is also known that on the first day of critical days, the intrauterine membrane is separated. As a result, this period is accompanied by severe pain, lethargy, weakness, and increased body temperature. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend reducing strength training and not making it too vigorous. Better to replace strength training yoga. It is also recommended not to lift heavy objects, do not load the spine and do not make sharp turns and bends of the body.

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Menstruation and training do not contradict each other, quite the opposite. As mentioned earlier, exercise helps reduce soreness and generally improves the condition.

What sports should you not do?

When asked why you can’t play sports during your period, doctors answer this way: you can and should play sports, but it’s important to feel your body and know what exercises you need to avoid during this time.

Does sport affect the female body? Moderate exercise during menstruation has a beneficial effect on women's health. But excessive loads and constant stress can have a negative impact - cause an imbalance of hormones and, as a result, a delay in menstruation. But it appears mostly from long-term stress. Therefore, the body urgently needs to rest.

Exists huge amount kinds of sports. They all differ in their loads, exercises, etc. For example, yoga and stretching are weaker in terms of physical activity than American football or powerlifting. That is why it is necessary to know which types you can engage in and which ones it is better to avoid during menstruation.

It is better to exclude those sports that require stress, such as:

  • intense fast running;
  • lifting a barbell with heavy weight;
  • exercises for the abdominal muscles;
  • exercises that involve the lower back muscles;
  • swimming in open water (even with a tampon).

What sports can you do?

The question often arises: is it possible to exercise before menstruation? The answer is yes, but remember that excessive stress from intense exercise can throw off your hormonal balance.

Exercising when your period is late is highly discouraged. It is better at this time to understand why the delay occurred by consulting a doctor. The delay can be caused by both stress and pregnancy. And sports early pregnancy Not a single specialist recommends it in order to avoid fetal loss with subsequent possible infertility.

But rest helps restore the cycle, healthy sleep, proper nutrition, vitamins and biological supplements. But if the cycle does not recover for a long time, you should consult a doctor.

Sports activities in critical days affect the body of women. To have a positive impact, you need to engage useful complexes exercises.

  • easy running and walking;
  • moderate exercise in the gym;
  • swimming;
  • yoga;
  • bodyflex;
  • Pilates;
  • aerobics;
  • fitness.

Running and race walking in combination with menstruation

As for and race walking, then you need to know the restrictions during menstruation. Running should be moderate. You need to give up replacing light cross-country with jerks and speed. It is better to replace the gym with running outdoors. During your period, you can and should do fast walking.

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Classes in the gym during critical days

When exercising in the gym, it is better to give preference to cardio exercises. You can train on a treadmill, exercise bike, stepper, but also in moderation, without exhausting the body. When you are on your period, it is not recommended to do strength exercises on your abs and lower back. Girls exercising during menstruation should listen to the cues of their body and give it a rest.

Swimming

Doctors strongly recommend swimming. This type Sports strengthens all the muscles of the body and has a positive effect on many organs. During menstruation, it is not recommended to swim in open waters or in cold water. Exercises in water normal temperature help tone the body and reduce pain. The swimming pace should not be too intense. You just need to “prepare” with the help of sanitary tampons and you can safely go to class.

Are yoga classes beneficial?

Yoga during menstruation also helps relieve cramps and pain and can be a major savior against many types of ailments. It is best to perform hata yoga and yogalates asanas. For example, poses of a child, cobra, cat, camel, fetus will help you stay in good shape, stretch well and relieve pain. Lessons can also have a positive effect on a girl’s state of mind, which will reduce tearfulness and irritability during menstruation.

Fitness classes are also allowed. Moderate loads and pace help you stay in shape and maintain your energy level and good mood. But as for the hula hoop (hula hoop), doctors recommend holding off on using this item during training. Because he has excessive load on the abdominal and abdominal muscles.

Other sports

Stretching is a type of exercise for stretching muscles. It also reduces pain and helps normalize blood circulation. Experts recommend starting any exercise with stretching in order to avoid injuries and strains of the body muscles.

Dancing, aerobics and Pilates are not harmful female body these days. You just need to not overload yourself and not do too active and strength exercises. Therefore, you don’t have to cancel your workouts, but simply adjust the intensity of your workouts.

Doctors' advice: how to prepare for sports

Every girl knows the state of her physiological health; she herself calculates her strength, whether she can do a hundred squats or run a 10 km cross-country race. Nowadays, you can find out about your health status using test exercises.

Question: “Is it possible to exercise during menstruation?” included in the TOP 5 most popular questions to Zozhnik. And today we will finally discuss this issue.

Materiel

We think it would be useful to talk about the phases once again menstrual cycle. Duration of the ovarian-menstrual cycle (hereinafter CMC) ranges from 21 to 36 days, with an average of 28 days. The entire cycle can be divided into 5 phases:

I phase - menstrual

In the first phase, the actual menstrual bleeding. During this period, there is a sharp drop in the level of metabolism, the woman becomes more absent-minded, and the sensitivity of all sensory systems(vision, hearing, tactility). Girls during this period are irritable and emotionally unstable. Due to the fact that the influence of the vagus nerve increases, blood vessels dilate and the rate of breathing and heartbeat decreases. And since blood is lost and fluid is retained, the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin, leukocytes and platelets in the body decreases.

Phase II - postmenstrual

In the second phase, the follicle develops in the ovary until it matures and ruptures. During this period, there is more estrogen in the blood - the main female hormone, and the development of the uterine mucosa occurs. And if before menstruation many girls feel swollen, swollen and may notice an increase of 1-2 kg, then immediately after menstruation ladies are usually cheerful, cheerful and slim. It is on these days that women are closest in emotional background to men.

III phase - ovulatory

In the third phase, the egg leaves the follicle and enters the fallopian tubes and further into the uterus. The concentration of estrogen in the blood begins to decrease, and the level of progesterone is still low. The basal metabolic rate drops, work capacity sharply decreases, habitual activities require O higher energy consumption.

IV phase - postovulatory

In the fourth phase, the remnants of the follicle form corpus luteum which becomes a new gland internal secretion and begins to secrete the hormone progesterone. The level is rising again metabolic processes and performance. Ladies usually become quiet and sad during this period.

V phase - premenstrual

In phase V, the corpus luteum degenerates 2-3 days before the onset of menstruation. The concentration of progesterone and estrogen in the blood decreases, and the functionality of the body decreases.

Increased excitability of the central nervous system, heart rate and breathing rate increases, blood vessels constrict and blood pressure. The glycogen content in the liver decreases, and the concentration of glucose and calcium in the blood increases, and the level of metabolic processes in the body increases. Many girls note a deterioration in hearing and visual acuity, and almost all experience irritability, fatigue, nausea, pain in the lower abdomen and lower back during this period, headache. Efficiency drops, and appetite increases, and even on the scales +2 kg and a belly like a pregnant woman.

How to train in different cycles?

Having carefully studied the equipment, we conclude that a woman’s performance directly depends on the restructuring of body functions in various phases of the CMC: in phases I, III and V it worsens functional state and mental and physical performance decreases, the functional cost of the work performed increases and physiological stress arises, and in phases II and IV performance increases.

From the 12th to the 15th day of the cycle, the most low level performance and absent-mindedness. Therefore, experienced trainers recommend reducing the load by 50% these days, and also do not recommend training the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis and legs, or learning new complex exercises.

In the premenstrual phase, the second decrease in performance during the cycle occurs. Yes, this is our “favorite” period of PMS. During this period, many experience increased irritability, depression and decreased motivation. And all this is not fiction, or whims, but a reaction to physiological processes.

Directly on the days of menstruation, it is not recommended to perform strength exercises that are accompanied by straining, sudden movements, heating and cooling of the body. That is, you should not squat with a barbell, do platform leg presses, or do rowing and Bikram yoga. And in general, the volume of strength training these days should be small.

But it is worth noting that the longer you engage in physical activity, the higher your sportsmanship, the less noticeable negative impact“unfavorable phases of the cycle” on your mood and strength indicators.

There are also contraindications to playing sports during menstruation:

  • puberty,
  • infantilism,
  • any menstrual irregularities (painful periods, uneven cycles),
  • inflammatory process in the genitals (yes, thrush and cystitis are also considered),
  • past infectious diseases,
  • abortion before the next menstrual cycle.

The period of critical days passes individually for each girl and woman. A very pressing question is whether it is possible to do fitness during menstruation. For those who find these days especially difficult, the answer is very obvious. Nausea, pain in the lower abdomen and head spasms, general apathy and irritability sweep away any thoughts about another workout. But what should those who have similar symptoms is not observed at all, and everything goes on as usual. As a rule, girls focus specifically on their well-being. However, not everything is so simple.

Is it possible to go to the gym during menstruation? It is best to find out the answer to this question from a gynecologist. He is the one who knows all the features of your body and will be able to correctly paint the picture. However, there are several key points, which you should pay attention to when training is ahead, and critical days are in full swing.

It is forbidden

So, why should you not exercise during your period, according to many experts? The fact is that during this period, serious processes occur in a woman’s body, primarily related to hormonal levels. Also during menstruation it changes due to the loss of some of its quantity, for example, the amount of hemoglobin decreases. This can affect your well-being. During training, malaise may become quite severe, even to the point of loss of consciousness.

Therefore, girls who do not tolerate such a period well, from active physical activity It’s better to refuse. Those whose menstruation is accompanied by heavy discharge. Intense exercise can increase blood loss, which can lead to negative consequences for health. It is necessary first of all to examine the blood for clotting. If its level is low enough, then fitness classes during menstruation will have to be postponed.

You can play only certain sports

For girls who have a hard time going through menstruation, in the best possible way During this period, it is not necessary to completely abandon physical activity, but only to adjust its intensity. For example, it is better to replace a trip to the gym for strength training with a Pilates or yoga class. If the first day of menstruation is the most difficult, then it should simply be spent more calmly. It is better to replace the workout with a walk in the fresh air.

On critical days, it is very important to observe. Both a lack and an excess of fluid in the body can worsen your health. It is better to avoid strength training and intense cardio training these days. So is it possible to exercise during your period? Yes. The optimal load option for such days is stretching, Pilates, yoga, dancing, and exercises for the upper muscle group.

Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary

Many girls are surprised to hear at an appointment with a gynecologist that they can go to the gym during their period. There is a very simple and logical explanation for this. The fact is that stagnation of blood in the body, including in the pelvis, increases pain and also prevents normal discharge in the right quantity. To avoid deterioration in health, you should not completely refuse training.

It is only advisable to reduce their intensity and replace some of them. For example, if cycling is on the schedule, then it is better to prefer a complex for working out the upper body. You also need to do the same. It is better to replace them with stretching or any other convenient type of load for of this period. It will also not be very convenient to go swimming on critical days, although many people only save themselves by doing this, getting maximum relaxation.

You can exercise, but after consulting a doctor

Is it possible to exercise during menstruation? This question should concern those girls who have any deviations in their work. You can only find out about this from your attending gynecologist. For everyone else, medium and low intensity exercise is recommended, depending on how you feel.

Also for training effectiveness great value has endurance. On critical days, its level decreases slightly, so the pace of exercise should be reduced in any case. Physical activity is extremely important during menstruation, since when muscles work, concentration decreases, which has a significant impact on pain, as well as on the psycho-emotional state.

Conclusion

To summarize, we should once again focus on the question of whether it is possible to do fitness during menstruation. If not medical indications, but if you have the strength and desire, then you even need it. Therefore, you can safely go to the gym and indulge in the struggle for perfect body. After all, the main thing in this matter is consistency. You shouldn’t interrupt your path to perfection because of any inconvenience.