LADIES: Do you workout on your period?

Yes, but not on the worst day. On most days I work out as normal, maybe taking it a bit easier.

Of course it depends on you and how heavy/difficult yours are, but I'm disappointed to see some people acting like it couldn't have an affect on working out and saying it's a bad excuse to be lazy - sometimes I've tried on the worst day and felt like I was going to faint. Everyone, please be aware that periods vary a lot from woman to woman, from month to month, and even at different times in your life. We take enough talk from men about being lazy or whiny and using it as an excuse for things without having it from other women too.

Having said that, light exercise can alleviate some of the pain.

Yes! This is SO well-put, thank you. I agree that we as women should not be judging other women for whether or not they're out running marathons on their periods.

I do not have heavy or terrible periods thank goodness - but I do have ridiculous cramps for maybe like 4 hours per month. And I am certainly not going to do hardcore exercise during that morning or afternoon, sorry.

Honestly...I try to put myself in others' shoes and consider that they may have those crazy cramps all day, every day for several days each month...OF COURSE they're not going to feel like exercising.

Also, I think MOST of us as women have had at least a couple of truly rough periods over the years. In fact my last gyno said that it's a really good thing to have a heavier than normal one here and there especially if like me, you're not planning to have kids. Reduces the risk of needing a DNC or something like that by middle age. ANYWAY...think of that one heavy period you may have had. Imagine having that every single month. Not fun, ladies!!

Last thing I've gotta say is tonight I logged housework as exercise and do not feel ONE bit sheepish about logging those 70 minutes spent scrubbing bath tubs and toilets, vacuuming every cranny, mopping, sweeping, dusting (baseboards too) and carrying some heavy stuff. Not one bit. I'm set to sedentary and no, I don't log my trips back and forth across the office during my work day but you better believe I'll log the kind of housework that gets my heart rate up.

bcuz

I used to not work out on my period, because my cramps and flow were so awful that I couldn't imagine doing it. Granted, my period used to also be really irregular... yay youth and being overweight!

... Then I fell in love with exercise, lost roughly 35-40 pounds (another MFP account/pre-MFP), and now here I am today. I exercise every period. Even if I'm feeling gross and awful, I always exercise unless I physically cannot. I recently picked up running consistently and I find that it actually helps with the pain and bloating a lot. So... my periods are now less painful.

I'll give it a try as often as I usually do, which is not as often as I should but still every few days. I only get bad cramps during the first day of my period, but when I do sometimes it's enough that I have to stop.

And no matter how many times people say that exercise helps with it, it never seems to for me. If anything, it's made me get the bad cramps more regularly than before.

I find it actually helps makes them less painful and go quicker x

I do too, no problem

Like Man-Flu I do believe that Man-Periods are worse, so well done you!!!!

Yes. And working out will help with the cramps.

Yes I still work out. Sometimes it takes me a little longer to get in a rhythm or motivated but I don't use it as an excuse not to get out there. Of course I don't have super crampy or heavy periods for the most part just once in a blue moon and then I'll take Ibuprofen before I start.

Yes, just because you are bleeding doesnt mean you cant do anything!!

It also relieves many symptoms.

You burn more calories as well as you run hotter.

"Yes, and I find it bizarre that some people don't. I wonder whether they also skip work and social events when they have their periods."


Yes, I have been known to skip social events that I'd really been looking forward to. I've also left work a couple of times and I make no apology for either. Would you expect someone who suffered from migraines to stay at work while having one? It's a similar comparison to someone who gets mild headaches saying to a migraine sufferer "just take a painkiller and get on with it".

At the weekend, I was teaching a 20 hour training course for people who'd all paid almost £200 each, and one woman had to leave halfway through Sunday because of her period. Do you think she would waste that much of her money and time, after putting in 15 hours of effort, unless she was in serious pain? She's now going to have to retake the whole course another weekend or, if she can't get someone to take care of her children again, will just wave goodbye to the money. It's not a case of "I don't feel like it"

Working out makes me feel better. I feel less cranky and I tend to be nicer to my fellow humans when I do.

YES! I actually have to, it helps with the pain.

Yes, I work out and it doesn't seem to bother me. It actually makes me feel better to get some exercise.

Yup, I go for my classes and if the cramps are really bad I will take a pain killer and take it easy. It feels so good to get a sweat on during the TOM. So much better than staying curled up in a ball on my couch or bed (which is what I used to do). It would make me feel miserable and I crave chocolates when I'm miserable.

Its just another day lass! so yep I sure do and it does make me feel better!