Exercise when you have your period

I am really not trying to be mean but suck it up and go to the gym. We are women in the 21st century and we aren't sent to the red tent. It's just a little annoyance once a month. It will actually help you feel better.

I seriously envy you! I wish it was that simple. I spend two weeks a month with nausea, intense cravings, fatigue, achiness and insomnia. And its weird - all I crave is bread and beer, but if I can't find that anything will do. Even things I don't want to eat and don't like I sometimes shovel into my mouth. This is a forum and I totally understand that this might work for you, but we have already tried "sucking it up." All the rest of the time I am a tough, take no prisoners kind of woman. But when that hits and my runs drop down to a 13 minute mile and my knees begin to buckle, I know I have to make some changes somewhere. I totally understand this method works for you, but if were that simple for me, I would have don't it. Unfortunately sometimes the hormonal balances can change our ability to deal with these situations. Some women get the biological F**-its

For me I think it starts with carbs and dairy though - as our reproductive system is closely tied to the activity of the pancreas and insulin, watch what you are eating, and try finding the point in the day when you don't feel quite as dead. I find that during those times runs have to be at night or else I will make morning excuses and skip it.

Keep trying new things - you'll figure out what works for you. The worst thing that can happen is you start again at square one. But at least you've learned what doesn't work. Keep ruling things out until you get it straight. It is part of the process.

I don't take the whole period off, but I do take the first day and do something very light and sitting the second day. I have Endometriosis and PCOS, so have a lot of pelvic pain with hormonal fluctuations. My 1st two days of my period I'm in complete agony. I have bad cramps, stabbing and sudden back pain that has made me fall down more than a few times over the years, and my whoha throbs in intense pain when I stand up more than 5 minutes. It's awful! I try not to eat like a crazy woman and forgive myself for taking a day off and then lighten up the load then 2nd day. I'm back to working out normal on day 3 though. I unfortunatley have a heavy and long cycle that always lasts a full 7 days. While exercise during my period makes me feel great, exercise has never helped those first 2 days. I can't take BCP's or any hormones b/c I have 2 blood clotting disorders. I have to take Naproxen the first 2 days just to function. Don't get lazy on your period, but also listen to your body! If you're in immense pain, talk to your gyn and find out why.

on bad days try yoga... tust me i hate working out on my week (ugh i get so sleeepy and crampy) . But on bad days yoga and some streching will keep you in the routine and really help with cramps!!!

I understand that everyone has different periods. Some people get really bad pain and can't do anything. Personally I find exercise really helps. Also my period pains have got far better now I am a lower weight. In fact the only time I have ever had problems with it was when I weighed more than 145 lbs.

I am really not trying to be mean but suck it up and go to the gym. We are women in the 21st century and we aren't sent to the red tent. It's just a little annoyance once a month. It will actually help you feel better.

Well, for some of us it's the worst pain you can experience (other than childbirth). I would say take some ibuprofen (I take 800-1000 mg - its a prescription) and try to do something. Even a little bit of a walk will help.

If I take ibuprofen before exercise, I get a nose bleed. Just warning there may be a side effect!

it's a journey, so I learn with each period ways to deal. I have no kids, but skipped my period for 9months until I changed my lifestyle and started dropping weight. I am happy to say I don't have really bad pains or sickness, but if anything like a headache happens I take a tylenol or alive, and get on with life. I might go to the gym, but I also have exercise dvds. JM boost metabolism and those walking dvds by Leslie S. are great on your cycle. a couple of days of rest won't hurt you, but try to not take the whole week off, drink plenty water, and if you won't be exercising, try to fill that time gap with other things besides eating. I am a chip eater during that time, so know your weaknesses and avoid them if you can't seem to do it in moderation

For me, the week before my period I'm ravenous! So, I workout even more during that week so that I can accomodate my increased appetite. During my period, I continue to workout, though I usually feel more tired. If I stop working out for more than a day I have a really hard time getting back into it. Also, I find that even on days I really, really, REALLY don't want to workout, if I just tell myself that I'll just go do a very gentle bike session or walk slowly. Inevitably, if I can just get myself started, I'll kick it into high gear and feel tons better afterward.

I agree with everyone else!! Get up and move! I get sooooooo exhausted the week before mine that it is hard to get up and do anything, but I do, and I ALWAYS feel better . It sucks, but I guarantee that you will be glad you did it. Working out at that time will give you more energy in the end

I still exercise during my period even though I don't feel like it, but once I get started, I actually feel better. Working out seems to relieve the pain and discomfort. After the workout is over, the discomfort comes back though, but at least for that hour or so that I'm exercising, I feel better. During the first couple of days of my period, I'm tired and I just don't want to get out of bed, but I make myself do it anyway.

I think you have to go exercise! No excuse! :-)

Working out during mine always makes me feel better. Try it and see if it helps. That or sex. Can be gross but it always makes my cramps stop.

I never had problems until I had kids. Now, I want to hit someone it hurts so bad. The pain of the actual period I can "suck it up and work through" but the migraine that comes along with it....

Very bad idea to put a heavy weight in my hand when my head is about to explode! Much less a noisy gym, or bright sunlight while running.

Yes, I've been diagnosed and monitored by my GYN and after the first 2 days, I can actually work out again. More tired, feel bad, and yes in pain.

Good Luck to you! I hate the way people are so condenscending and judgemental on all forums in general....just asked a simple question and then get attacked.

So I’ve been going to the gym quite religiously except when I have my period. During three weeks I build a rhythm and by the third week I feel great and then that one week it’s surprising that I can even get out of bed. The week after I find it really hard to restart exercising again, especially after a week of uncontrollable binge eating. I hurt all week and my only consolation is yummy treats.
Does anyone have ways to deal with it?

That kind of pain is not normal. If you are having serious pain and issues then talk to the doctor. I "sucked it up" for 10 years until I finally saw a doctor. After an ultrasound I was IMMEDIATELY sent to a specialist who couldn't believe I'd waited so long to get some help. Now that I am back to "normal" periods, I don't find that they interfere with my exercise at all, and movement definitely helps with the cramping and bloating

talk to your doctor about this, when I was a teenager, I was instructed by my doctor not to exercise during my t.o.m a little light walking but nothing strenuous as my periods were so bad anything more would have aggravated my womb, i was on a special NSAID (like ibuprofen) think it was called ponstan, (brand name) which was mefanamic (sp) acid and this helped a lot with the pain, but it was still unbearable, we are talking laying in bed screaming with pain, crying so the only walking i got done that week was what was needed to get to class etc, however, since being put on the P.O.P (progoestrogen only pill, my periods have become much much more manageable and now i am able to workout most days of my t.o.m but if there is a day or two that week or even the week before or mid cycle, don't hate yourself for not being able to, just be careful with the calories, and if you realise its unavoidable every month, plan for it. have your relax days whilst youve got it (i give myself 2 'relax' days a week - where I can indulge a little but within reason - no all you can eat buffets or such like) find something that works for you and stick to it. good luck, and i really hope you find a way to deal with your periods, women that don't get them that bad really don't understand what its like for those of us who do / did even my mum didn't understand why I was crying so much (yet strangely or not, it turned out my maternal grandmother experienced similar issues)

I have PMDD and PCOS so I know what a horrible period is. I can't even get up some mornings while I have my period. It puts me out of whack and I cannot function at all for about 4-5 days. It's gotten so bad I'm now heading back to the GYN and getting some tests done.

And no, ibuprofens don't help. Nothing helps. I've tried so many things and nothing has helped. I even take vitamins and I still feel no improvement. Some women can deal with their periods, for others it's debilitating.

If you get it as bad as I do (I think I'm an extreme case) then take plenty of hot baths, vitamins, eat well, try stretching instead of working out and just relax. It also helps to see a doctor if you can't function at all like me.