Period pain, otherwise known as menstrual cramping or dysmenorrhea, is a common complaint in women of childbearing age. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, more than half of women experience pain with their monthly cycle. When it comes to keeping in shape, you might find that maintaining your regular exercise routine during your period can be a challenge. Fortunately, menstrual pain doesn't have to put you on the sidelines.
Significance
Menstrual pain can have a debilitating effect on your exercise regimen. If you're in the majority of women who experience cramps so severe that they affect your activity level during the beginning days of your cycle, you might find the inconvenience to your fitness routine discouraging. Although it seems counter-intuitive, remaining active during this time can actually reduce your discomfort.
Mechanism
Pain during your period is caused by an increase in prostaglandins---hormones in the body that cause the uterine muscles to contract. Because exercise reduces tension in muscles and stimulates the production of endorphins---the body's natural pain killers---staying active during your period can reduce menstrual pain's severity.
Types
ACOG recommends walking, as well as other aerobic exercises such as biking or swimming, to reduce menstrual cramps. In addition, stretching exercises are an effective method of coping with the pain of your period. For example: Lie on your back with your knees bent, then slowly pull your knees toward your chest and hold for a five count; slowly lower your feet back to the floor. A fitness ball is also helpful with stretching exercises.
Benefits
In a 2003 study by Lori M. Dickerson, Pharm. D., et al. at the Medical University of South Carolina, women who participated in aerobic activity experienced a lower rate of premenstrual symptoms than the control group. This research indicates that exercise as a form of controlling menstrual pain can be effective, reducing the need for pharmaceutical pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen, which can cause uncomfortable side effects.
In addition to reducing cramps, the same endorphins that dull your body's sense of pain also give you a mental boost, producing that natural high that follows physical activity.
Considerations
Although there is a significant body of academic, as well as anecdotal, evidence to suggest that exercise is beneficial for pain during a woman's cycle, these claims might not hold true across the board. Blakey H., et al. of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham in Birmingham, U.K., proposed in a 2010 analysis of the literature that many studies have been inadequately designed, and more research is needed. Blakey claims that the evidence on exercise and dysmenorrhea is conflicting.
Regardless of the statistics, the best bet is to exercise to your own comfort level. As long as the level of pain during your period is manageable, and you are not bleeding excessively, there is no reason not to continue your normal exercise routine all the way through your cycle.
