Ladies.... do you exercise during your period?

sweetdixie92

Heck yeah...I can't quit my job (which is physical) for a week every month just because I'm not feeling good. So why stop working out/running?? I've found that it actually helps with it. I've noticed the times that I haven't been quite as active during my period, it was worse (or maybe just seemed like it).

Life is about learning to work through the pain. IMO.

mitch16

I haven't had a period since I had a Mirena placed.

*skips off to go workout*

Azexas

mitch16 wrote: »

I haven't had a period since I had a Mirena placed.

*skips off to go workout*

I'm totally jealous- I had my mirena put in sept 2013 and I still get mine ::Grumble:: Grant it, its gotten much lighter.

she_lived_wholly_forevermore

Depends on how heavy it is. For some reason during this week I feel more motivated to run and do my intense belly dancing workout.

iheartinsanity

I personally stick to running during my time of the month. I don't know why but it seems my period is lighter and lasts a shorter amount of days when I just run.

chemteacher1987

Uh yeah. It is just a regular week...

KylaDenay

Indeed I do

DawnieB1977

Yep, makes no difference. I don't get cramps anyway, but I always feel better when I exercise.

royaldrea

Yes I do. I may not be as proficient as I am (ha!) when I'm not bleeding like a halal chicken, but I do it anyway.

angelchic128

I am actually one of those weirdos that enjoys working out on my period. It helps battle the PMS symptoms and can be a great way to work off the extra frustrations that week. I work out first thing in the morning so it sets my day in the right path. If you're uncomfortable maybe just doing ten minutes of random booster exercises throughout the day.
Weight loss can still happen though with slight modifications in calorie intake and random activity that can lead to calorie burning.

kk1084

Always. It didn't even cross my mind not to until I read this post! haha.
I go to the gym 4 times a week, every week, and I do at-home exercises and ab-work when'm not at the gym.

SingRunTing

Yes I do. I try not to put my life on hold for something that currently consumes a quarter of it. Also, exercising helps my mood immensely.

willrun4bagels

mitch16 wrote: »

I haven't had a period since I had a Mirena placed.

*skips off to go workout*

Same here.

mlheideman

I do it so I can eat more... like, everything.

Jkj95

I usually do, but during the past couple of semesters I was in sport and rec classes at my college that require me to exercise on certain days of the week regardless, so I've just gotten used to it.

Liftng4Lis

No excuses.

Stitch_down_carbs

usually i get so dog ill that i dont but i went to the gym with it and it actually wasnt that bad!

PrettyPearl88

rencawdor24 wrote: »

Ladies,

I was wondering, do you exercise during your period?

I tend not to as I feel very bloated and heavy with cramps and sometimes just don't want to move at all, especially when my period pains are really bad.

But that means 5 days (nearly a week) of no weight loss.

Thanks

Who cares what other people do?! Do what works for you! Every woman's cycle is different, so different coping methods work for different people. Some women only get very mild pain during their periods and for them, working out makes them feel better. Other women get more severe pain and for them, even with a prescription medication to ease their pain, strenuous exercise makes them nauseous and taking it easier for two days is better.

Do what's best for you. If you're in a lot of pain, just take a rest day or two and eat at a slight deficit in order to still lose weight. If you're feeling up for it, work out! As long as you don't use your entire 5-day cycle as an excuse to be sedentary and pig out every day, you'll be fine.

DeterminedFee201426

yes i workout on my period always

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Lol @ "5 days of no weight loss". You don't need to exercise to lose weight. Make sure you're eating at a deficit those days and you'll still lose.

Also, there's this neat little function at the top of the forums page, where you can search for previously made topics about things like this. This saves you time from having to make a post about it, and it saves us time from having to answer the same old questions over and over and over. Experiment with it, it's great.

DeterminedFee201426

esjones12 wrote: »

You can still lose weight without exercising. Just track your calories and eat your entire deficit. I lost quite a few pounds last month when I was injured and unable to exercise.

Also - I always workout like normal on my period. Honestly, it helps with the cramps and bloating. Sure it sucks to get started, but once I'm moving and the endorphins are kicking in I feel great. They help reduce the cramps, etc. for me.

Give it a try! Best of luck

me too

Jezebel_Barbie

Not usually, no. Sometimes it affects my weight loss that week, sometimes it doesn't. You do what works best for you.

Oi_Sunshine

The rare times I've tried, it made my cramping worse even while being heavily medicated with ibuprofen and muscle relaxants. So no. I wait until I can walk without cursing myself for being born a female. I have a thyroid issue that makes pms and cramping worse. It's super fun.

If you can't comfortably, then don't. You can eat a couple hundred less on days where you would have burned those calories off. Either way it's a deficit.

rencawdor24

oORosadaOo wrote: »

Do you have cramps all those days? And I thought I had it bad! I get very painful cramps the first day, sometimes I feel dizzy and basically just bone tired from the pain. So, I don't work out but I don't feel like eating much either so that's fine.

After that first day I feel normal and work out as usual.

I don't know if they make them in your country but I found analgesic suppositories very helpful. Mine are called Buscopan plus (here in Spain Buscapina) and contain paracetamol as well as an antispasmodic.

For the no weight loss aspect: if you can't exercise you have to watch your calories even more. Good luck!

I don't have cramps every day during my period, but I tend to have it first day or two and the heavy flow last about 3, sometimes 4 days. During heavy flow, I am so tired, can barely move and craving high fat comfort food.

So during period, I am eating loads more and moving very little.

This period, I'm going to try doing things differently.... eat much less high sugar, high fat food and attempt to do some sort of exercise (if I can).

I really feel that everymonth, this time of month creates a real dent in my weight loss efforts. As it then takes days to get back in the flow of things, so overall a week has gone.

rencawdor24

Really interesting for me to see, that so many of you continue to power through your period as normal in terms of exercise/calories.

Keep it up ladies!!

kimberleyaf

Yes, yes and yes! I find it helps with cramps, and at the end I always feel so much better anyway, as long as your freshen up with a shower after! (Y)

Otterluv

PRMinx wrote: »

Yes. No way I'm taking a whole week off every month. The first day is always the worst day and if it's really bad, I'll use that as my rest day. But, yeah, your period is not a valid excuse to skip workouts.

Well, now that all depends, doesn't it? Generally I'm fine, but a few times a year the pain is debilitating.

I've also known enough women who have had medical issues (often undiagnosed for a time) that cause severe cramping, so I would never presume that it's,an excuse. OP: if your pain is that severe, you'll want to get checked if you haven't already. Reproductive disorders like endometriosis are VERY common, and often undiagnosed because women are unaware that the level of pain that they are experiencing is abnormal.

KimofTas

If you're not averse to popping a pill when you have your period, try Naprogesic (Australian). They are amazing and get rid of cramping within 30 mins! Just get them over the counter at the chemist.

foodequalshappy

I don't exercise because of the cramps and I feel so sorry for myself that I eat everything. Everything. Especially chocolate and pizza with a side of chocolate.
Gives me a chance to see what would happen if I wasn't tracking calories all the time. (And the answer is bad things )