Exercise And Your Monthly Cycle

For most of women of reproductive age, exercising during their periods is an annoying added inconvenience. Moreover, many of them believe that exercising during this time of the month can pose health hazards. Therefore, they tend to skip workouts while they are menstruating. But does exercising really affect the menstrual cycle adversely? Let’s see what the scientific studies have to say on this matter.

To understand the effect of exercise on your monthly cycle and the symptoms associated with your period, it is important to first understand the various phases of the menstrual cycle. The average menstrual cycle lasts for twenty-eight days, while variations are extremely common. Most women experience menstrual flow for three to seven days.

The menstrual cycle can be divided into four important phases, namely:

1. The Menstrual phase, which generally lasts for one to seven days. It is the time when the blood vessels in the uterine lining contract. This results in the shedding off of the uterine lining in order to begin a new cycle. The woman experiences bleeding during this period.
2. The Follicular phase, which lasts from the fifth day following the menstruation to the thirteenth day of the cycle. The ovarian follicles ripen in this phase and the lining of the uterus thickens once again to prepare for a possible pregnancy.
3. The Ovulatory phase, during which an egg is released from the dominant ovarian follicle. It usually takes place on the fourteenth day of the menstrual cycle, but variations are very common.
4. The Luteal phase is the phase of the menstrual cycle when one of the ovarian follicles matures and becomes the corpus luteum. The lining of the uterus thickens further. This phase lasts from the fifteenth day to the twenty-eighth day of the menstrual cycle.

These phases are a result of the hormonal fluctuation taking place inside a woman’s body. While estrogen is the dominant hormone in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, progesterone plays a crucial role in the luteal phase of the cycle. Apart from the changes in the uterine lining and ovulation, these hormones are responsible for the mood swings that women experience during different phases of their cycle. Especially the more tangible symptoms like anxiety, depression, lethargy, increased food cravings, bloating and headaches can be directly attributed to a sudden decline in the levels of circulating estrogen and progesterone just before menstruation.

There is a myth that exercising during menstruation can aggravate these symptoms. However, scientists opine that the reverse is true.

Let us see how exercising can help in managing the symptoms associated with menstruation.

Benefits of exercising during menstruation

Exercise also increases the blood flow to the pelvic region which helps in washing away of the chemicals which produce pain. Exercising also loosens the muscles of the lower abdomen and back. The muscles of the pelvic floor are strengthened and the reproductive organs get a better support, which may result in less painful cramps as well as less bloating. The endorphins released during exercise also help in elevating the mood and provide relief from the symptoms of anxiety and depression seen during menstruation. Exercise helps in decreasing the fluid accumulation in the body, so you do not get the feeling of being bloated during menstruation.