When menstrual cramps attack, you might not feel like doing anything but curling up in bed; however, light exercise actually can help ease the pain of cramps, as can stress-relieving activities -- and yoga qualifies as both. Along with the usual standbys of hot water bottles, warm baths and pain-relieving medications, yoga soothes the inflamed abdominal muscles that flare up during your period.
Forward Bends
Some women like to place gentle pressure on their abdominal areas when they have cramps. In yoga, you can achieve this by doing forward bends. The forward fold pose that is part of vinyasa flow is one type of bend; others include big toe pose, in which you place your hands under your feet, and seated bends such as head-to-knee forward bend. Downward-facing dog also is considered a forward bend. Always hinge at the waist and keep your spine straight when doing forward bends to avoid injuring your back.
Back Bends
If folding forward while you have cramps sounds painful, try back bends instead. Rather than caving the abdominal area inward, some women like to take pressure off that area by bending in the opposite direction. Back bends can take place from either a standing or kneeling position, such as camel or dancer poses; begin with lying on the back, such as bridge or fish oose, or on the belly and bend upward, such as bow pose.
Inversions
In the past, women have been advised not to do inversion poses during menstruation due to increased risk of endometriosis; however, that risk has been debunked. Yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar actually recommends inversions to alleviate irregular cycles and heavy menstrual flow. Some basic inversions include legs-up-the-wall pose, shoulder stand and plow; if you're more advanced and inversions work well for you during episodes of cramps, try a supported or unsupported headstand with a spotter.
Backache Poses
Cramps sometimes present themselves not as an abdominal pain but as a dull ache in your lower back. For relief from this type of pain, try reclining big toe pose or staff pose, which put gentle pressure on the back by requiring it to straighten. Back bends, side-stretching poses like triangle and half moon, and cat-cow stretches also can alleviate back pain.
