Ladies only! Working out with painful periods
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My periods used to be ok but I have come to realize that it was only because I was on the birth control pill for so long. Now that I'm off it, the pain is awful and the flow is like a murder scene.
I started using a menstrual cup about 6 months ago and while it's much better than tampons (on so many levels), it's still not perfect (I'd only exercise right after insertion just to be sure).
But aside from the pain and the blood bath, I also have no energy what so ever on the first two days (probably because I'm losing so much iron), so I take rest days for 2-3 days and that's that. I am not one to rest for more than 1 or 2 days, but it is still beneficial to the body so my period is the perfect time for that reset.0 -
amyrebeccah wrote: »** although, taking 200 mg ibuprofen (not aspirin, not acetaminophen - ibuprofen, like advil) every 4 hours for 2-3 days before your period starts can help reduce pain bc it decreases prostaglandin activity. if you track your period with an app, you can work out the timing.
this helps things hurt less for me than when i forget to do that, and am woken up in the middle of the night by surprise uterus violence. not enough less to try to work out.
I had been doing that, and it does help, but you risk overusing the advil and taxing your kidneys and stomach lining. My GI made me go off it entirely. :-(
True - for stomach, taking it with food helps. Kidneys, I don't know
Anecdotally - lots of women I've talked to have experienced a reduction in pain after childbirth. It's an extreme measure, admittedly.0 -
hbrittingham wrote: »People who haven't had absolutely horrible periods have it in their heads that a little bit of exercise will make the cramps go away. Not the case for those of us who have at least two days of feeling like someone set our uterus on fire, stomped all over it, ran it through a mincer and then shoved it back in. Plus your back and the back of yuor legs feel like they do when you are running a high fever. Really bad periods don't only affect your uterus, either, they can cause digestive and bowel issues. I've had surgery for endometriosis, so it's better than it used to be. But running during the first two days of my period is totally impossible.
Take it easy the first two days. There is nothing wrong with taking a couple of days a month off while you have your period.
I agree I think some people don't realize what a really painful period is. It is hard to put a measurement on pain so when others compare their periods to mine I just let it go. I am climbing walls when I have mine and the first day ibuprofen only has minimal affect and I have to take it very often which of course is not an ideal situation. I know your situation is a little different because of the edometriosis and gym probably has no affect. However for me and maybe for some others I noticed if I go to the gym regularly the next month the cramps are a little easier than compared to not exercising at all. Not sure what the connection is but it is what I noticed. However the first day of my period are never tolerable enough to go to the gym.0 -
HereToLoseOrWin wrote: »hbrittingham wrote: »People who haven't had absolutely horrible periods have it in their heads that a little bit of exercise will make the cramps go away. Not the case for those of us who have at least two days of feeling like someone set our uterus on fire, stomped all over it, ran it through a mincer and then shoved it back in. Plus your back and the back of yuor legs feel like they do when you are running a high fever. Really bad periods don't only affect your uterus, either, they can cause digestive and bowel issues. I've had surgery for endometriosis, so it's better than it used to be. But running during the first two days of my period is totally impossible.
Take it easy the first two days. There is nothing wrong with taking a couple of days a month off while you have your period.
I agree I think some people don't realize what a really painful period is. It is hard to put a measurement on pain so when others compare their periods to mine I just let it go. I am climbing walls when I have mine and the first day ibuprofen only has minimal affect and I have to take it very often which of course is not an ideal situation. I also experience the digestive issues. I know your situation is a little different because of the edometriosis and gym probably has no affect. However for me and maybe for some others I noticed if I go to the gym regularly the next month the cramps are a little easier than compared to not exercising at all. Not sure what the connection is but it is what I noticed. However the first day of my period are never tolerable enough to go to the gym.
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Hello, i am a yoga teacher and have learned a few things about bodies over the years. I have a few suggestions for you that I've learned from personal experience and this applies to all the ladies. Menstration should be a time for rest and surrender where you honor yourself as a woman. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't work out. You just need to tone it down a bit. A few things to avoid during your cycle: dont do any abdominal workouts, this puts strain on your uterus and will increase your flow unnecessarily, don't do exercises that generate a lot of heat. Your body natural heats up when menstruating which is already taxing your system. Don't invert your body doing handstands or hanging upside down. Avoid twisting your abdomen when stretching.
I recommend taking and learning restorative yoga poses to do during your cycle. There are many poses that provide releif for cramps and bloating. You can easily find classes online.
Do take fish oil and primrose oil regularly. Another thing that made a HUGE difference with my cycle was sleeping on an earthing blanket. Also known as grounding blankets. You can find them online. You can achieve the same benefits if you spend 45 minutes a day grounding your feet in either grass, sand or cement as well. Look up earthing. It provides many benefits and helps balance out the rhythms of your body. Hope this info helps!
Namaste!IronBatMaiden wrote: »So I'm not sure if some of you have seen my other thread in another board about Aunt Flo issues, but just to give you some background, I've dealt with irregular cycles in the last 4 years. It boils down to some kind of hormone imbalance where my body won't make enough progesterone to ovulate and menstruate every month. The last two months since starting exercise, I hadn't had a period until last night. So now I have to deal with pain while working out.
For the last two nights in a row, I was dealing with horrible cramps that were made worse with working out. Last night was probably the worse out of the two. I almost stopped because the pain was so bad! As soon as I got home and took a shower, I curled up on the bed in a ball of pain! I didn't end up going tonight because I just felt drained and I soaked through a tampon to where it stained my panties and shorts. (Sorry for the tmi.)
I just ordered a menstrual cup and I'm gonna see if that acts as a good alternative to tampons, but I have to ask. Does anyone have any tips for reducing or getting rid of menstrual pain while working out and getting a good burn in?
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Hello, i am a yoga teacher and have learned a few things about bodies over the years. I have a few suggestions for you that I've learned from personal experience and this applies to all the ladies. Menstration should be a time for rest and surrender where you honor yourself as a woman. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't work out. You just need to tone it down a bit. A few things to avoid during your cycle: dont do any abdominal workouts, this puts strain on your uterus and will increase your flow unnecessarily, don't do exercises that generate a lot of heat. Your body natural heats up when menstruating which is already taxing your system. Don't invert your body doing handstands or hanging upside down. Avoid twisting your abdomen when stretching.
I recommend taking and learning restorative yoga poses to do during your cycle. There are many poses that provide releif for cramps and bloating. You can easily find classes online.
Do take fish oil and primrose oil regularly. Another thing that made a HUGE difference with my cycle was sleeping on an earthing blanket. Also known as grounding blankets. You can find them online. You can achieve the same benefits if you spend 45 minutes a day grounding your feet in either grass, sand or cement as well. Look up earthing. It provides many benefits and helps balance out the rhythms of your body. Hope this info helps!
Namaste!IronBatMaiden wrote: »So I'm not sure if some of you have seen my other thread in another board about Aunt Flo issues, but just to give you some background, I've dealt with irregular cycles in the last 4 years. It boils down to some kind of hormone imbalance where my body won't make enough progesterone to ovulate and menstruate every month. The last two months since starting exercise, I hadn't had a period until last night. So now I have to deal with pain while working out.
For the last two nights in a row, I was dealing with horrible cramps that were made worse with working out. Last night was probably the worse out of the two. I almost stopped because the pain was so bad! As soon as I got home and took a shower, I curled up on the bed in a ball of pain! I didn't end up going tonight because I just felt drained and I soaked through a tampon to where it stained my panties and shorts. (Sorry for the tmi.)
I just ordered a menstrual cup and I'm gonna see if that acts as a good alternative to tampons, but I have to ask. Does anyone have any tips for reducing or getting rid of menstrual pain while working out and getting a good burn in?
Do you think stomach exercise and exercises that generate heat should be avoided through out the entire period or just the first 1-2 days?0 -
IronBatMaiden wrote: »The premenstrual cramps last for about a week, but 2-3 days before and the first day are usually horrible!! I feel like I 'm getting stabbed in my vag! I took one rest night last night but I might be up for it again tonight since the pain has lessened (the flow, not so much).
Wow! That sounds like torture. Is it possible that you may have endometriosis?0 -
Hello, i am a yoga teacher and have learned a few things about bodies over the years. I have a few suggestions for you that I've learned from personal experience and this applies to all the ladies. Menstration should be a time for rest and surrender where you honor yourself as a woman. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't work out. You just need to tone it down a bit. A few things to avoid during your cycle: dont do any abdominal workouts, this puts strain on your uterus and will increase your flow unnecessarily, don't do exercises that generate a lot of heat. Your body natural heats up when menstruating which is already taxing your system. Don't invert your body doing handstands or hanging upside down. Avoid twisting your abdomen when stretching.
I recommend taking and learning restorative yoga poses to do during your cycle. There are many poses that provide releif for cramps and bloating. You can easily find classes online.
Do take fish oil and primrose oil regularly. Another thing that made a HUGE difference with my cycle was sleeping on an earthing blanket. Also known as grounding blankets. You can find them online. You can achieve the same benefits if you spend 45 minutes a day grounding your feet in either grass, sand or cement as well. Look up earthing. It provides many benefits and helps balance out the rhythms of your body. Hope this info helps!
Namaste!
Great advice! It may sound like woo woo, but it's legit. You need to allow the flow of your body to cleanse you. You must embrace it and allow it to happen naturally. Enjoy a cool bath or soak your feet. The restorative poses are a wonderful idea!0 -
I handle it by taking rest days during the first two days of my cycle. I am usually in a lot of pain and so exhausted I can hardly keep my eyes open, so I just take some nice hot bubble baths and try to relax. The thought of trying to work out during those first two days feels like torture for me, so I just don't do it.
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I'm going to echo what a lot of other people have already said...YOGA! Even just mild cardio, like walking, can be painful for me. I've found the only thing I can really do and not be in horrible pain is yoga. Give it a shot. Try a class or find some videos on YouTube. If you haven't done yoga before, you'd be surprised how much of a workout it can be. Good luck!0
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amyrebeccah wrote: »amyrebeccah wrote: »** although, taking 200 mg ibuprofen (not aspirin, not acetaminophen - ibuprofen, like advil) every 4 hours for 2-3 days before your period starts can help reduce pain bc it decreases prostaglandin activity. if you track your period with an app, you can work out the timing.
this helps things hurt less for me than when i forget to do that, and am woken up in the middle of the night by surprise uterus violence. not enough less to try to work out.
I had been doing that, and it does help, but you risk overusing the advil and taxing your kidneys and stomach lining. My GI made me go off it entirely. :-(
True - for stomach, taking it with food helps. Kidneys, I don't know
Anecdotally - lots of women I've talked to have experienced a reduction in pain after childbirth. It's an extreme measure, admittedly.
Yeah, I've heard that too, but
Lol yeah it's a bad reason to have a kid. (I actually thought about it once though)0 -
Abdominal exercises should be avoided during the heavy days especially, and if you are still bleeding red. If color changes to brown towards the end you can resume light ab workouts but sometimes that could create bleeding again. It's best to avoid ab work outs until all bleeding has stopped.
I don't do any abdinal work outs for the five days of my cycle and then make sure to do them all other days. It turns out to be a nice break that I appreciate. A time where I slow down and find that internal rest that is so needed during that time of the month.HereToLoseOrWin wrote: »Hello, i am a yoga teacher and have learned a few things about bodies over the years. I have a few suggestions for you that I've learned from personal experience and this applies to all the ladies. Menstration should be a time for rest and surrender where you honor yourself as a woman. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't work out. You just need to tone it down a bit. A few things to avoid during your cycle: dont do any abdominal workouts, this puts strain on your uterus and will increase your flow unnecessarily, don't do exercises that generate a lot of heat. Your body natural heats up when menstruating which is already taxing your system. Don't invert your body doing handstands or hanging upside down. Avoid twisting your abdomen when stretching.
I recommend taking and learning restorative yoga poses to do during your cycle. There are many poses that provide releif for cramps and bloating. You can easily find classes online.
Do take fish oil and primrose oil regularly. Another thing that made a HUGE difference with my cycle was sleeping on an earthing blanket. Also known as grounding blankets. You can find them online. You can achieve the same benefits if you spend 45 minutes a day grounding your feet in either grass, sand or cement as well. Look up earthing. It provides many benefits and helps balance out the rhythms of your body. Hope this info helps!
Namaste!IronBatMaiden wrote: »So I'm not sure if some of you have seen my other thread in another board about Aunt Flo issues, but just to give you some background, I've dealt with irregular cycles in the last 4 years. It boils down to some kind of hormone imbalance where my body won't make enough progesterone to ovulate and menstruate every month. The last two months since starting exercise, I hadn't had a period until last night. So now I have to deal with pain while working out.
For the last two nights in a row, I was dealing with horrible cramps that were made worse with working out. Last night was probably the worse out of the two. I almost stopped because the pain was so bad! As soon as I got home and took a shower, I curled up on the bed in a ball of pain! I didn't end up going tonight because I just felt drained and I soaked through a tampon to where it stained my panties and shorts. (Sorry for the tmi.)
I just ordered a menstrual cup and I'm gonna see if that acts as a good alternative to tampons, but I have to ask. Does anyone have any tips for reducing or getting rid of menstrual pain while working out and getting a good burn in?
Do you think stomach exercise and exercises that generate heat should be avoided through out the entire period or just the first 1-2 days?
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IronBatMaiden wrote: »The premenstrual cramps last for about a week, but 2-3 days before and the first day are usually horrible!! I feel like I 'm getting stabbed in my vag! I took one rest night last night but I might be up for it again tonight since the pain has lessened (the flow, not so much).
Wow! That sounds like torture. Is it possible that you may have endometriosis?
I have suspected in the past I might have endometriosis or some other reproductive issue. The only thing that it can be pinned down to is some kind of hormonal imbalance. I wonder if it's endo and/or pcos.0 -
Thanks for the advice about the yoga everyone. I'll look some up online. And on another note, I'm gonna probably end up making a doctor's appointment so I can find out why my cycles are so irregular and what I can do for it.0
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Cardio has always helped my cramps. Thanks to this birth control I'm on I've had spotting and 2-4 periods a month for the past 4 months and I've never let myself miss a gym day because of them. Hot pads, Tylenol, and bring one or two back-up tampons and a light liner to the gym. If those aren't working you should look into birth control (just not Nexplanon!) to reduce your period symptoms.0
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IronBatMaiden wrote: »The premenstrual cramps last for about a week, but 2-3 days before and the first day are usually horrible!! I feel like I 'm getting stabbed in my vag! I took one rest night last night but I might be up for it again tonight since the pain has lessened (the flow, not so much).
Wow! That sounds like torture. Is it possible that you may have endometriosis?
This doesn't even sound like endometriosis..menstrual cramps are your uterus contracting, endometriosis is still in the uterus and just causes lower abdominal pain. Pain in that area sounds like a UTI or an STD.0 -
IronBatMaiden wrote: »IronBatMaiden wrote: »The premenstrual cramps last for about a week, but 2-3 days before and the first day are usually horrible!! I feel like I 'm getting stabbed in my vag! I took one rest night last night but I might be up for it again tonight since the pain has lessened (the flow, not so much).
Wow! That sounds like torture. Is it possible that you may have endometriosis?
I have suspected in the past I might have endometriosis or some other reproductive issue. The only thing that it can be pinned down to is some kind of hormonal imbalance. I wonder if it's endo and/or pcos.
Skipping periods is a symptom of pcos. You can easily have this checked out through blood test and ultrasound.0 -
Ashtoretet wrote: »IronBatMaiden wrote: »The premenstrual cramps last for about a week, but 2-3 days before and the first day are usually horrible!! I feel like I 'm getting stabbed in my vag! I took one rest night last night but I might be up for it again tonight since the pain has lessened (the flow, not so much).
Wow! That sounds like torture. Is it possible that you may have endometriosis?
This doesn't even sound like endometriosis..menstrual cramps are your uterus contracting, endometriosis is still in the uterus and just causes lower abdominal pain. Pain in that area sounds like a UTI or an STD.
It isn't constant. It's just 2-3 days before my period and on the first 2 days on my period.0 -
HereToLoseOrWin wrote: »IronBatMaiden wrote: »IronBatMaiden wrote: »The premenstrual cramps last for about a week, but 2-3 days before and the first day are usually horrible!! I feel like I 'm getting stabbed in my vag! I took one rest night last night but I might be up for it again tonight since the pain has lessened (the flow, not so much).
Wow! That sounds like torture. Is it possible that you may have endometriosis?
I have suspected in the past I might have endometriosis or some other reproductive issue. The only thing that it can be pinned down to is some kind of hormonal imbalance. I wonder if it's endo and/or pcos.
Skipping periods is a symptom of pcos. You can easily have this checked out through blood test and ultrasound.
Maybe I'll request an ultrasound since the blood test only revealed a hormonal imbalance.0 -
Believe me, I understand the pain. For just a day or two a month, though , why not skip the workout? Be kind to yourself and go back to the gym feeling 100%.0
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