Women - exercising during that time of the month?

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  • 2credneck208
    2credneck208 Posts: 501 Member
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    Just suck it up and do it!

    I found exercising before, during and after my period actually reduced cramping, even reduced the amount of days that I would have my period. Nothing better than going from 5 days to 3 days.

    This!
  • tiggermamaof2
    tiggermamaof2 Posts: 13 Member
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    I had periods from hell every 14 days. cramps worse then labor and almost worse then passing 7 kidney stones 6 months pregnant. I couldn't leave the house for about 6 days a month from flow and passing out from pain. saw the OB had surgery an ablation and a few other procedures fixed my issues, pain free and period free. I would definitely consult your dr when your period is taking over your life there usually is a problem. good luck on cramp free workouts
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
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    I'm sure as a Mom with other friends who are mothers, you have given advice that no one asked for. Like I said, if you don't share that you have xyz, one has to assume that you just cramp a lot, bleed.. it really just sounds like it's all in your head.
    a hell of a lot of women don't get a solid diagnosis. some find they're banging their head against a brick wall when they talk to the docs they've seen, others have no solid reason the docs have found, some are waiting on tests and diagnosis, some do not realise that there might be more to it than some women just have a tough time.

    catering advice to the healthy is reasonable. making the sweeping statement that anyone who doesn't work through it is making excuses is not.

    ...and at some point it really does make more sense just to concede that some posts were poorly worded and that there are, indeed, exceptions to the general rule that exercise usually helps.

    pedantic? me? nonsense!
  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
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    If you're getting cramps at regular intervals - you said monthly - you should look into what you are eating or what exercises you do before you get those cramps. I think the suggestion of birth control is a little inappropriate for an exercise-related issue and that's not withstanding the moral issues.
    With love,
    Burt

    Um....huh?
    Birth control is totally an appropriate response for a menstrual related issue, which is what the OP had. Save the opinions until you have a uterus.
  • lotushead
    lotushead Posts: 200 Member
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    sweatpants & ibprofen. problem solved.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
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    just deal with it! sorry but if you want to let IT control you then it will! :bigsmile:

    have you seen your dr about going on the pill or something top slow them down? :wink: i dont need the "birth control" part of it but use it for the hormones!
  • lalaglo30
    lalaglo30 Posts: 33
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    I get bad cramps too. The advice my gyno gave me is that if you have pretty regular periods you should start taking ibuprofen a day or two before it starts. It reduces the flow and helps reduce the cramps. Also I can't live without tampons. Is there a reason you don't use them?
  • dmaloof2013
    dmaloof2013 Posts: 134 Member
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    Crunches help with cramping. But I don't let it run my life. When it's TOM I find I do more working out because it makes things feel better
  • amymrls
    amymrls Posts: 1,673 Member
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    I am the same.... I just make myself get through it knowing the end results are worth it
  • glwerth
    glwerth Posts: 335 Member
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    I end up taking at least one, sometimes as many as 3 days off, due to my crazy-heavy periods. Once I start exerting myself (especially with lifting) it just gets too gross and I don't want to have to change pad + tampon every fifteen minutes. So, I stay home.
  • KellieNause
    KellieNause Posts: 27
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    I was seriously about to post this exact same question about a week ago.

    Exercise does help with cramping, as well as eating foods high in potassium BEFORE AND AFTER the workout, at least for me.

    My problem comes with extreme nausea during that time of the month. Sometimes I'll miss class because I do nothing but sing praises to the porcelain throne! It's horrible.

    If the pain is really uncomfortable for you, maybe go to your doctor as ask about options. I switched BC pills and my new pills help a lot with cramping and weight gain during my cycle.
  • KellieNause
    KellieNause Posts: 27
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    .
  • Mbishop7684
    Mbishop7684 Posts: 171 Member
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    Mine get bad too, sometimes I can make it through and other times I can't. Listen to your body! Eat a banana, take some ibuprofen, do what you can then take a shower or sit in the sauna. A little is better than nothing :-)

    I HAVE noticed that when I eat certain foods and drink certain drinks my cramps get worse. Maybe keep a "cramps log" so that you can start to see trends of what workouts or consumption is making it better or worse?

    Good luck!
  • barebon
    barebon Posts: 80 Member
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    Yeah my cramps and pms illness have kicked up since I have worked out. I do a lot more cardio when it is at it's high. I put on a tv show and just do moderate exercise. It keeps my mind off the matter and at least I am moving. It makes it kind of nice because my period goes away faster the more I exercise during.
  • JediMomof3
    JediMomof3 Posts: 29 Member
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    Oh and I was a bleed through 2 super tampons and 2 super maxi pads at one time and it was incredibly embarrassing on kickboxing as I was running to the bathroom and trying to get to back out to my car was horrible! So you do what feels right to your body for the few days you feel miserable and I hope you find something that works!
    before i found the right meds, that was me! i could use a diva cup + the biggest size of towel and still have my clothes soaked through in half an hour during my very worst days. there were days where i literally could not leave the house. no lifestyle changes or meds made a jot of difference to that until my doc tried me on the tranexamic acid. now it's like having a normal period again! i can just get on with my life.

    That's great. We're checking blood work first and then go from there!
  • Dakryn
    Dakryn Posts: 155 Member
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    I have found the only thing that helps my cramps is two Aleve...the others seem to make it worse and my really bad cramps last just a day or two, but it still sucks....I also notice that if I drink more water and if im hydrated, its a little better too, why? i have no idea...I am also very prone to migraines that time too...so I will do like 10 min workouts throughout the day, i cant do a whole hour of anything... good luck
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    See your doctor. There are things that can be done about this. It can be more expensive and invasive than it's worth to get an exact diagnosis of endometriosis or fibroids. Sometimes all your doctor recommends is ruling out malignancies, and then taking the pill to even out your hormones, which, for most people, reduces bleeding and pain, and slows down the progression of the condition. If that doesn't work, there are other things to try.

    Some women have menstrual pain that isn't from any identifiable condition, and that should be taken just as seriously. You can't put 1/4 of your reproductive years on hold, and for a lot of women, the suffering is more like 2 or 3 weeks out of every month.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    I take one Magnesium Ok tablet daily and that does the trick. You can read up on them at this website: http://www.wassen.com/q_and_a/magnesium-ok.html. My cramp was so bad I had to actually spend a day in bed and could not eat for at least two days as I felt very nauseous . I started eating all of the darkest green vegetables: broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, spinach, kale, all of which helped to ease the blood flow. I also cut back on salt, sugar, sodas, chips and fry food.

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