Should you not handstand on your period?

shirazum2023
shirazum2023 Posts: 54 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
That's the question. Should you not handstand on your period? I have recently started handstand drill and my period is on the way. I have seen a few people talk about it. Just want to know if its legit.

Replies

  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    What?
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Lol. There are gymnasts who get periods. I'm pretty sure they still workout and/or compete while on their monthly. I know I did.
  • Hooliekom
    Hooliekom Posts: 94 Member
    I am intrigued - what did these people say would happen if you did a handstand during your period?
  • KickassAmazon76
    KickassAmazon76 Posts: 4,678 Member
    well... I never would have thought about this on my own. curious to read the various answers.

  • shirazum2023
    shirazum2023 Posts: 54 Member
    @WeatherJane @Redordeadhead @Hooliekom I don't think there's any health complication, at least not medically proved but many yogi do not do it. I personally don't think I would be any less comfortable but just wanted to know what other people have to say about it. I think you can read online about it. There's lotsa articles on it already.

    @sardelsa Thank you. I just wanted to know this exactly :)

    @DancingMoosie Thank you. Clears my confusion that its just a yogic practice, not necessarily something I have to worry about medically. Handstand cheers me up always. And I can use all the serotonin and dopamine release on the period :#
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    I do a lot of handstands including a daily practice for a year. Never has this once been a factor i have considered in decided whether to do them or not . Sore wrist - yep something worth thinking about. Shoulder issues - another thing that might be a bad for handstanding.

    Unless you are super skilled at handstands it is highly unlikely that you would be inverted longer then a minute so I am don't really think there is going have a impact on bodily functions.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    When I used to practice yoga it came back to yoga philosophy and tradition, life energy flow and inversion during menstruation going against the natural energy flow (or something like that). Some even say it can lead to ligament pulls and other physiological issues and reproductive problems but I don't believe there is a strong science behind that.
    As far as I know, as long as you are comfortable, go for it.

    Yes, the reason for avoiding inversions during menstruation is something like that.

    I took headstand (and shoulderstand) out of my rotation after reading "The Science of Yoga (The Risks and the Rewards)"

    https://smile.amazon.com/Science-Yoga-Risks-Rewards/dp/1451641435/
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,010 Member
    During menstruation your tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc) are a lot softer. As someone with poor connective tissue I really feel my whole body. It’s also the best time for posting impressive splits photos on facebook :D so maybe there’s a reason to be careful.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,828 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    During menstruation your tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc) are a lot softer. As someone with poor connective tissue I really feel my whole body. It’s also the best time for posting impressive splits photos on facebook :D so maybe there’s a reason to be careful.

    Hahaha. Maybe that’s why I can’t get the damn split down all the way. Post-menopausal. Yah!!!! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    My yoga teachers have never said anything like that. It would never occur to me to even worry about it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    My yoga teachers have never said anything like that. It would never occur to me to even worry about it.

    I have found the talk that accompanies "gym yoga" to be very different than that which accompanies "yoga studio yoga." I'd expect this issue to be far more likely to be discussed in studios than gyms.

    Another factor is where the teacher received training. In my Kripalu Yoga teacher training, we officially had menstruation listed as a "Precaution" for inversions, but we also had a discussion on how this tradition may not actually be applicable.

    I believe my very first teacher, who was an Iyengar, had the same discussion with us - tradition says don't do inversions when menstruating, but let your own body be your guide.

    In the Jivamukti tradition: "The point is to not go a day without turning upside down, unless you are a menstruating woman (in which case it may be best to rest from all inversions, because turning upside down will disturb the downward movement of apana toward the Earth)."
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    The studio yogi I had was a guy. Maybe that’s why! 😆
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i have nothing useful to say other than it sounds like something middle school girls would use as an excuse to try and get out of gym class LOL

    I don't turn myself upside down LOL but having my period never stopped me from any workout I was doing.
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