Exercise What You Should Do and Avoid During Period
Exercise during period is often a thing to avoid. But apparently, not all sports are prohibited during period. Menstruating women also need to exercise. It aims to maintain body fitness, while helping to reduce complaints when period comes.
In fact, exercise during period can help relieve symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, body weakness, and headaches. However, this does not mean that menstruating women can do just any sport. There are some exercise movements that should not be done during period. What exercises are allowed and not allowed during period or period?
Exercise allowed during period
When period arrives, you should not be lazy and stop physical activity. Stacy Sims, a physiologist from the United States revealed that the more active you are doing activities during period, the less pain in the body will be. the following are some sports activities that you can do during your period.
- Yoga and pilates
Yoga and pilates are light exercises that you can do during your period. The muscle stretching done while doing this sport can make you more relaxed. Although it is allowed, you should avoid certain movements such as candle stances, handstands, shoulder stands, namely movements with the position of the feet above. This can trigger a blockage of blood vessels in the uterus so that it increases the volume of blood that comes out. - Light gymnastics
Another sport that you can try during your period is light gymnastics, such as aerobic gymnastics. Aerobic gymnastics can help your blood circulation, help overcome the soreness felt during period, as well as make you more excited. When doing gymnastics, avoid jumping movements and choose movements that are easy for you to perform. - Walk
The type of exercise you can do during your period is walking. Walking is a light exercise activity that is beneficial for maintaining your physical health and mood during period. By walking, you can reduce the mood swing that often hits during period. In addition, your body also stays in shape during period. - Cycling
The next exercise during your period that you can do is cycling. Muscle movements of the legs performed while cycling can help reduce cramps in the abdomen and back pain. Make sure you choose a route that is close by when cycling. So that you don’t get tired. Using a stationary bike can be an option. Do not forget to drink enough water so as not to be dehydrated.
Prohibited Sports during period
Menstruating women are still not recommended to perform indiscriminate movements, as they can interfere with comfort or even aggravate complaints. So, what are the exercises that should not be done during period?
- High Intensity Cardiovascular Exercise
Levels of progesterone and estrogen hormones are at their lowest point during your period. This is what makes you experience a weak body, easily tired, or less energetic. Therefore, it would be better not to do cardiovascular exercises when it comes to months. - Inverted Yoga Pose
Doing yoga practice is indeed good for improving mood during period. However, to be able to achieve these benefits, you need to avoid yoga movements with inverted poses. Basically, the inverted yoga pose movement requires you to ‘stand’ using your head with your legs on top, such as doing a candle stance. - Other Movements That Worsen Symptoms
Also avoid exercise movements that can aggravate menstrual symptoms. For example, if you experience pelvic pain, doing squats can cause discomfort. Therefore, these sports movements should be avoided.
Tips for Comfortable Exercise during period
Although there are some movements that are prohibited, it does not mean that you are absolutely not allowed to exercise during period. You are actually recommended to exercise, as long as you still pay attention to movement, intensity, and duration. In addition, also practice the following tips so that exercise during period still feels comfortable.
Start with a stretch. It aims to reduce tension and improve blood flow
Meet the need for body fluids to avoid dehydration. In fact, lack of fluids or dehydration makes you more at risk of worsening menstrual symptoms
Take over-the-counter painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
It aims to prevent the risk of cramps during exercise
Use pads or tampons with abundant absorbency. This action is so that you don’t have a ‘leak’ while you are engrossed in exercising
What are the benefits of exercise during period?
there are a number of benefits of exercise during period, including the following.
- Controlling heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Reduces PMS symptoms such as abdominal cramps and back pain.
- Increases endorphin hormones thereby reducing pain.
- Reduces stress and copes with mood swings.
Several benefits of this sport have been proven by a study from Iran’s Khorasgan Azad University published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. The study was conducted on 40 female students who experienced STDs. The first group was asked to exercise aerobic for 60 minutes to 3 times a week in 8 weeks.
As it turned out, those who regularly exercised during period reported that they no longer experienced abdominal cramps and severe headaches during the period. Basically, all physical activity is good for you to do during period. However, stick to what exercise can and cannot be done during period!