exercising with cramps (WOMEN)

liftandcycle

how do you do it? I have cramps, im bloated.. etc.. so how do you do it? i skipped my workout today.. last month, was fine so I exercised.. but this month, I just couldnt do it..

liftandcycle

bump...

aksunshine

last week I skipped 3 days in a row due to this. I prefer not to go that many days, but the first day is definitely a no exercise day. I figure if I have to sit out 2-3 days a month it won't hurt me too bad. I almost don't have a choice.

naseak

I really didn't wan to go last week but forced myself and found it made the cramps better.

nnylee

From what I hear, (usually I'm too crippled to try this out during my TOM), but what I hear is that if you exercise it helps alleviate the cramps. I do not know if this is true, but that's just what I heard. :O

RachelsReboot

I didn't want to but I pushed through and did my regular 2 hour workout and I felt much better afterwards

lewandt

I always feel better if i work out when i have cramps. But i work out at home, not sure if i would feel up to going to a gym.

Linbo93

It helps me! I'd say its half exercise-enduced endorphins and half distraction though. But I generally feel better physically and I feel mentally more capable of handling the symptoms. I'm sure it has to be different for everybody, though.

sallyjmad

Ditto the others! I never want to but I force myself to work out and go for a run, I feel 100 times better afterwards.

maygans

Exercise does not always help alleviate the pain. I know for me, 100% of the time it makes my pain a lot worse (to the point of violent vomiting from it) so I usually just take it easy. Everybody is different though obviously. I would suggest listening to your body to see just how far you can push it. But 1-2 days a month of curling up with a heating pad isn't a big deal.

Hopelessbird

I take pain killers and do it anyway just lower intensity/shorter.

MissJay75

My problem is if I take 2-3 days off like I really want to, I have a really hard time getting back into the rhythm of working out regularly again. So I make myself put on my work out clothes, and I tell myself to do at least 10 minutes of something. I give myself permission to quit after 10 minutes if I want to. Usually what happens is once I get moving, I can keep going for at least 30 minutes. Granted it is a much lighter workout. I don't do abs or high impact cardio moves. I might do some yoga or cardio boxing depending on my mood.

Also I make sure I am fully dosed with tylenol and ibuprofen well before I begin. For me personally, the cramps lesson during the workout, but come back even worse after, so I take a hot shower and cuddle up with the heating pad after.

liftandcycle

I have done it before, but its those random cycles that for some reason hurt more than the others that I just cant do it.. I atleast I feel better knowing im not the only one who has to take a day off..

munchkinhugs

Hope you feel better soooooon x

It's amazing what a walk in the great outdoors can do for you (well, for me).

I'm usually terrible with TOM stuff (stop reading now guys), bad cramps, super heavy flow, dizziness, and nausea. I've found that exercising consistently during the month (non-bloody days) has helped reduced flow, and the severity and duration of my cramping.

This past period, I had a pretty crappy second day -and spent a good part of it indoors (trying to sleep it away). I finally convinced myself to head on outside for a walk and *BAM* that fresh air hitting my face was AMAZING. And after 5-10mins of being outside, moving (just walking), I felt better.

So, if you're feeling like total sh!!!t during your TOM, try walking. It doesn't have to be intense exercise -but something is better than nothing!

I also hear that ab exercise can be a God-send. I always feel like I'll leak (yuck, I know) if I try and do them though!

MMarvelous

I usually do them unless I think my flow is too heavy. The pain usually subsides during the workout.

radmallshell

Well, here's what I do when I feel tired, crampy, or sick. I take an ibuprofen, etc, wait for it to kick in, then, I tell myself one of 3 things: I will exercise today for 20 minutes at half my usual effort, if I feel good, I'll do more, if not, good for me; I will exercise today doing something that is an easier/ half-out effort, for the full time, such as walking, etc.; or, I will do something that feels good to a crampy body today, such as stretching, yoga, etc.

In other words, you give yourself a break, and still exercise, so you're not letting yourself out of your goal, but still listening to your body.

I've also just decided not to do anything, and that never feels as successful.

This week, when I was having a bad, bad, bad day with my period, I went out, and I went out for vengeance, pushing it HARD. And you know what? I actually found that it was a great day, I felt great, I felt strong, and, surprisingly, (with the help of ibuprofen), my cramps weren't as bad. Weird.

Good luck.

mstawnya

I'm right there with you. I went to workout this morning, but the rest of the day I was shot. Lots of ibuprofen, a heating pad, and rest.

Kaitou

The cramps usually hurt so bad and make me so miserable that I may as well exercise. Lying down doing nothing just makes the time pass slower, and sleeping or peaceful resting are out of the question. The pain will take all enjoyment out of non-physical activities like reading, knitting, or watching TV.

It's not that I am strong-willed or persevere through it to exercise--it's just that it makes no difference in pain/comfort whether I do it or don't do it.

purplechic

I run for exercise so when I am suffering from cramps, I just slow it right back to a jog or when it gets bad, I just walk it off. Usually I find that I'd feel like crap during the workout but afterwards I am glad that I did it!

Kim55555

why dont you just take some neurofin? thats what its there for!

MissJay75

why dont you just take some neurofin? thats what its there for!

For many of us, the pain is much stronger than a couple of ibuprofen. I still use them to take the edge off, but that's about all it does.

Kim55555

oh bummer!

Pebble321

It's going to be different for everyone - generally I think exercise can really help cramps but if it is too bad and you miss one day it's not the end of the world. Just get out there again tomorro.

ruby_red_rose

If you have cramps, then only do a light to moderate exercise. Heavy exercise can worsen your cramps.
I usually do only 30 minutes (where normally I work out for an hour), and I keep it light. And if I am not feeling it, I skip a couple of workouts. One or two missed workouts a month will not make or break you new healthy lifestyle. Remember most of losing or maintaining weight is from a healthy diet anyway. As long as you are consistently making way more good choices (with food and exercise), than bad, you will be fine.

Hickyvikki69

painkillers, work thru the pain, in my thoughts exactly on bloating...i look like a f***king whale and i want it gone!!!! (even tho it just bloating)

thinnerisstronger

I find that cardio helps get rid of cramps. Pick a workout dvd with an uplifting instructor. Think of your workout time as "me" time (the same way you'd think of a bath or a bowl of ice cream and a movie).

I get really bad cramps some months, so bad that advil does nothing. But working out helps!

Beautifulbridgittlee7

I take ibeprofin and I tell myself I'll feel better after, I swim/water jog, get on the elliptical bike, sometimes I'll do zumba or kickboxing or running/race walking and it helps me a lot, I have more energy and it helps me sleep better.

Steph_135

When I first was getting cramps this month, I decided to go for a run (like, my first run of the YEAR!). At the end of my run, I was cramping really bad, but half way through my cool down walk, the cramps disappeared. I will definitely try this again next month! So, yeah... I just went for it. Determination. And some pain-killers when necessary. Good luck!

JMCD86

Try magnesium, that really helped me this way you don't have to take pain killers and it prevents them if taken daily

ceruleanmuse

I don't - my endometriosis gives me severe chronic pain and exercise-inflammation only makes it worse. I'll either wait until NSAIDs work or the pain has gone down.

singingflutelady

exercise has done wonders for my cramps (used to be really bad now I don't even have to take advil:)) and for some reason I feel stronger/hit more PRs during my period