Does exercise cause spotting?

Glad to find this posting! I just got a new treadmill 3 weeks ago and started out walking on it, this last week I decided to try jogging and after I was done with my workout I found that I was spotting. This is the first time this has happened to me and I didn't know what to make of it. I feel a bit better now reading all these posts, as there was no pain or anything associated with the spotting, though it is curious that some ladies on here have been to the doctor and there seems to be no explanation as to why this happens after working out.

Yeah, I just started having this issue last night. I used to be in the military and ran quite often, but I didn't have this issue. Last night, I actually had to make a mad dash from a subway to the train and when I got home, I realized that I was spotting. I'm also cramping all of a sudden today too. But my cycle went off about 2 weeks ago. So maybe its a combination of ovulation and running? Who knows. I'm glad that I stumbled onto this site. Feeling a little less worried now. Phewh.

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update: so my spotting finally stopped in March. Now it is early May, and I just recieved a message today from my Dr's office saying my Dr wants me to go to an OBGYN and also wants to see me about my test results. So I am nervous. I can't beleive it took 3 months for my pap results to come back! and now I have to worry all night until the Dr office opens so that I can call and make my appt. I will update regardless and hope to have a good outcome that can reassure others with this same problem. 

update: my pap cell smear tests came back fine. geez, I can't believe they would leave me an alarming message like that. It turns out they had booked my OBGYN appointment but needed to also book me for an ultrasound. I won't have my appts and results for a few months. will update then, but hope to share good news to reassure everyone. I did however, learn that bleeding is much more of a concern for a woman who has stopped having her cycles. That is not my case but thought I would share that info.

I also have spotting after exercise. :( It is good to hear there are other women out there like me. I have spotted like this since I was in my teens. I never was very athletic as a teen but when I would run to get in shape the spotting would occur and I would end up stopping exercise. Now in my 30's, my goal was to get in shape and I have. I started P90X and again the spotting occurred but this time I just dealt with the spotting. I finished the program and now I'm doing Insanity. I have noticed that the spotting is around ovulation time and once that is over I won't spot even with the same hard cardio workouts.  Having a short cycle, 22 days and very regular, plus the spotting gets very frustrating and makes me feel abnormal. If I don't exercise I don't bleed, so I wonder why it happens with only exercise?  I have an appt. in a month to see my gyn. so I pray that it just something I will have to live with and not something serious. My biggest fear is surgery...I'm such a chicken!!! 

To everyone with this similar problem, good luck and keep exercising!

I am in a fitness class and our coach makes us jog/run 12 minutes basically every other day.We are not supposed to stop.After I finish jogging I always start cramping and then I spot brown blood.I'm glad to know I'm not the only one this happens to,because I have kidney problems and I have a rare blood disorder that my doctor told me is not normal.I have a low factor 13 in my blood and I thought running was inducing the symptoms.I wish I could go get checked out,but everytime I go I get tested a hundred times just to find out a doctor can do nothing to help me,but if my symptoms continue I guess I have no choice but to get another ultra-sound of my kidneys again.

update: my ultrasound results are back and even though I still need to see the ob-gyn for a final check up, the clinic doctor told me that the ultrasound shows everything normal except for 2 small fibroids. They are too small to require removal. They are likely the cause of the temporary bleeding when running. I am relieved and hope that the ob-gyn will confirm that there is nothing more sinister to worry about. I am told that fibroids are extremely common in women - more than 50% of women having them. So perhaps we all just have a fibroid rubbing when we exercise which causes some bleeding. I hope this is helpful to someone else who may be worring.

This is crazy! I'm 24 and I've been super active since childhood. Cross country, track..I run races all summer long, now since Dec every time I do a really hard work out or run for longer then 6 miles, I get a nasty crampy feeling and I'll spot for a good 2-3 days. Sometimes it's even heavy enough to require protection. However during my actual period, I don't feel PMS-sy, I don't cramp as bad and it's lighter...I don't know! It's super frustrating ... honestly I'm happy to find out there are so many others that are dealing with this same problem...although its quite unfortunate! Glad to know I'm not alone =)

I am in my 30's and I have been running for about 2 years now.  I started regularly spotting about 6 months into running.  I brought it up to my gyno, she ran tests, found nothing, and said it's probably fine, unless I start feeling pain.  This wasn't good enough for me, so I did some of my own research.  What I found is that becoming more physically fit means that your body is working more efficiently/correctly.  When preparing the womb for the possibility to carry a child every month, the walls of the uterus thicken and it builds up more blood and fluid than people who are not as physically fit and active.  When the egg is not fertilized, the womb sheds all of this blood and fluid (a period).  This was the explanation to why my periods went from 3-4 days(not active) to 6-7 days(after started running), and a few days during this time is very heavy with blood clots (sorry to gross anyone out!).  I was actually hoping for my period to stop, like I've heard had happened to runners, but it's gotten worse.  One explanation for spotting I found was that running or heavy exercising can jolt and bounce the womb, "shaking lose" blood in the womb.  This makes the most sense for mine and other situations I've read about here.  Another explanation is the discharge that occurs during ovulation can pick up some of this blood. 

Whatever it is, I'm really sick of this problem!  I feel like I constantly have my period and am never "clean".  Yuk!  I would love to find a way to make this stop!  I'll be back if I do. 

I have had spotting after beginning to run after a one year stop in workouts. I am getting good results in fitness and weight loss, although I am doing a beginner 5K (to finish) training and I am quite convinced that this more related to stress than to workout in itself (even if activity seems to increase the phaenomena). I have always been active, and I don't feel tired by the training I'm doing, but I have been having a quite hard time lately due to working abroad and getting some bad news. I had already had this spotting some years ago during another stressful period of time (changing job and relocating to another town). That time everything was fine (I also went to the gyn and had a scan and PAP), except for a little anhaemia, for which the doctor gave me supplements. As soon as I started the supplements the spotting ceased until now. The doctor said it is not theorically normal, but a woman in 4-5 has it without having any health issue, and nearly every woman experiences it at some time in her life, so it means medicine is simply not fully understanding why it happens. He also said it is probably "age" (I had just turned 30 now I'm 33) that imbalances hormones, when added to stress of some kind (diet, exercise, emotions). I am anyway planning to see the doctor and the gyn, just to check there is nothing else new, but given what above I shouldn't feel too much worried. I anyway would like to get a way out as it's a constant worry that it might hide some condition. I have now begun to take basal temperature in the morning, to see what is going on with my hormones, I know it will take months to get an idea, but it might turn useful the day I will plan to have a baby!

I am 35. Not taking any birth control and I feel like I am not just spotting. I don't know how much blood to excpect from spotting. I feel like it's more than normal. Not much, but a little mor than spotting.

 

glad to find this! i started intense workouts approximately 2 weeks ago and for the past three days i have had brown spotting at night after my workouts i kept finding stuff saying that working out doesnt cause bleeding but it isnt time for my cycle and i went to the gyno not too long ago and everything checked out well

I am so glad to find this site. I've started exercising twice a day as a company Biggest Loser Challenge almost two weeks ago and today I started spotting. I was pretty freaked out.  Now I feel a little more relaxed by it and will begin to keep track of it better in case I go to the gyno.  I'm dedicated to working out like this for the challenge, so I'm going to put up with it as long as I can.  :)

I have light bleeding between my periods when i lift any kind of heavy weights or do exercise that is strenuous for my body. for example: I try to stay away from the step master because that is what causes for me. I have had consulted doctors,and have had ultrasounds,biopsy,etc,etc. a possibility is Uterine prolapse which is when your uterus falls down into your vagina. A woman's uterus (womb) . The uterus is found inside the pelvis, which is the area from your belly button to your groin. Your uterus is held in place by strong tissues and muscles. With uterine prolapse, these tissues and muscles cannot hold up your uterus properly. Your uterus may press on other organs inside your pelvis, such as your bladder , bowel, and vagina. and causes early menstrual. It might happen with any kind of exercise depending on the women even rough sex around your menstrual days. But going back to exercise, I have been told to always wear a tight girdle or some kind of elastic belt around my lower abdomen to hold the uterus in place while exercising.Many doctors will disagree but unless they come with a better answer they cannot argue the possibility of the uterus prolapsing if you lift something heavy,By the way if your uterus is prolapse you have less chances of getting pregnant,and if pregnant you might be at risk of a miscarriage if you exercise strenuously My opinion only. Not all women are the same and are  prone to this condition. Another good idea will be to strengthen your abdominal muscles and see if that helps.

I am really glad I came across this site. The last three weeks I've changed my diet drastically and have been working out every day. The last 4 days, I noticed I'd been spotting just a bit a few times a day. This is the first time since I've been on birth control that I've started a healthy lifestyle. I called my GYNO today and haven't been able to figure out what it is that's causing it. But since I've been going to the GYNO and been on birth control (3 years) all of my feminine health has been very good. Once I hear what she has to say, I'll repost.