Working out during period (for ladies)

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  • ironicusername
    ironicusername Posts: 73
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    Everyone's body is different. Most of the time I'm pretty much sick for a week during that time. Any kind of physical activity makes me want to die.
  • chink39
    chink39 Posts: 3
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    how true is it that you're period is shortened if you work out during your period?
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    I work out the same. I suck it up, and I just keep pushing. You'll feel tons better after, also (especially if you usually cramp). The release of endorphin makes everything more bearable, and losing weight will also affect your cycle (less bloating, better disposition, less cramping, etc.). Think about the long term positives of a minor inconvenience today. :smile:

    Agreed! I do it anyway and I always feel better for doing so.
  • crystal_darling
    crystal_darling Posts: 53 Member
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    I normally don't work out on the first day because I get killer cramps, and they don't go away for about 3-4 hours, then I have to deal with the headache and walking around like I got hit by a truck. But after the first initial day I just slowly walk for 20-30 minutes. Nothing to intense.
  • tamtamzz
    tamtamzz Posts: 142
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    Haha! I used to be one of those women, 'What are you crying about?! It's just your period, you're not dying. Stop complaining, you're making women look bad.' I used to roll my eyes on the other side of my cubicle when I heard my co-worker complain about PMS. I thought it was pathetic, and she was just looking for an excuse to have an attitude.

    WELL! Fast forward a few years, and here I am, suffering with PMDD, (PMS times 100). Horrible, horrible debilitating hormonal migraines, vomiting, uncomfortable water retention (can be up to 7 pounds of water) and cystic acne. Then the emotional side effects are even worse. My anxiety goes through the roof, and I have panic attacks. I'm listless, exhausted and feel like I've been beaten down. I'm extremely angry and irritable. I have to warn my husband prior to ovulation because my condition would scare him.

    So I hope y'all who think it can or won't happen, it can! Don't forget, hormones change as you get older, and you never know what may be around the corner waiting for you.

    As far as exercising, I do, but I'll usually strength train. I have no stamina for cardio. If I have a migraine, I can't do anything.
  • JennyLisT
    JennyLisT Posts: 402 Member
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    absolutely NOTHING changes for me when I have my period-
    Is this an excuse for some? Or is it that bad?? Been getting it almost 30 years- have had 3 babies- I know women who call out once a month from it- and if I was their boss Id figure out a way to fire them.

    Makes women look bad when we complain about our period I believe.

    I wish you'd been there to coach me as I curled up on a park bench yesterday after vomiting and almost passing out. I'm just such a sissy. I wish you were there to motivate me off of that bench. You have three babies, so you must know everything about every woman's menstrual cycle.
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
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    I work out! The only time I don't FEEL like working out is when I'm cramping, which is the first day or two, but I pop in some ibuprofen and get my butt to the gym. Working out actually makes me feel better.
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
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    I work out! The only time I don't FEEL like working out is when I'm cramping, which is the first day or two, but I pop in some ibuprofen and get my butt to the gym. Working out actually makes me feel better.

    I should add that I didn't read this whole thread, so I'm sure there are women who have much more complicated periods than I do. Mine are pretty basic and not enough to keep me from working out. That's not to say that mine are like everybody else's, so I wouldn't judge anyone who didn't want to go to the gym for bad period symtpoms.
  • natashiag
    natashiag Posts: 33
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    I push through, I also see more weight loss when I workout and stop myself from eating through the walls of my house while on my period.
  • mustangmama3
    mustangmama3 Posts: 173 Member
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    I always feel like I don't want to, but then I force myself. Once I've started I feel much better :)
    Agreed!!! I feel the same way!!
  • aussie_nic_getting_fit
    aussie_nic_getting_fit Posts: 134 Member
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    its a part of being a woman. i refuse to let having a period be an excuse and get in the way of my fitness goals... i have a tablespoon of cement and "harden up"

    NO excuses in my world!
  • MandyMidwife
    MandyMidwife Posts: 2
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    I'm not going to lie either: For me there is no difference. None at all. Why would I work out less or do anything different? On the first day I might have some cramps, so I try to not work out exactly when I have them (they usually only last an hour or so). But besides that... all the same. I don't feel bigger, I don't retain water (at least not that I know of), I don't think the period is an illness or disability.

    I know people who have terrible cramps and can hardly walk. Of course for them it's different. But in general I think we (meaning women) make way too big of a deal out of losing 2-10 tbs of blood...

    I wish it was only 2- 10 tbs. On days 2,3 and 4 I am in the bathroom every 45 min. I don't sleep for 2 nights. During that time I go through about 50 products. I'd give anything to have cramps for only an hour, you are very fortunate. I don't go to the gym on those days, I use the treadmill at home but for half the time. When I work out it is heavier, but on day 1 and days 5, 6 and 7 I work out like normal. It's all up to how you feel.

    You may want to see a dr. It was like that for me for a few years. It turned out I had fibroids. I decided to have a hysterectomy but depending on your place in life there are some other things that can be done that may not affect your fertility.

    I used to prefer to work through my cramps because in the long run it made me feel better. then the above mentioned few years it just caused me to bleed even more heavily. Given I often would be in the bathroom every 10 minutes I wouldn't exercise. Then i became so anemic I could hardly get out of bed. Even though I have my ovaries and have a cycle still I feel so good that I have no problem exercising.


    ^^^^^^This... You should see your doctor. If you're saturating over one pad/tampon an hour, you're losing too much blood. You should get your iron levels tested and get checked for fibroids. They're very common, especially in women over 40. A hysterectomy is one option for heavy periods, but like the other poster said there are other options depending on the cause. One underused option that some women with heavy periods should consider is the Mirena IUD. It's typically used as birth control, but the hormone thins the uterine lining and decreases or stops bleeding altogether.
  • laurajethan
    laurajethan Posts: 50 Member
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    i suffer badly with dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia each and every month and im taking tranexamic acid and mefenamic acid, which lessens the amount of blood lost and goes someway to help the pain. i dont do any excerise when it my period, which it is at the mo, because even just sitting down i feel dizzy and very very weak. so for me, it is an illness and a disability for 5 days a month :(

    but, it is only 5 days, so if u eat right and get back into exercise when you period ends then you should be ok :) good luck xx

    I also take Tranexamic Acid for how heavy my TOM's are and have extremly bad back pain but I still find If I workout I always feel better but thats just me and I understand everyone is different. Its trial and error sometimes you just gotta give it a go and see how you feel.
  • cosmoholic
    cosmoholic Posts: 23
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    I always feel like I don't want to, but then I force myself. Once I've started I feel much better :)
    Agreed!!! I feel the same way!!

    I will try to keep this in mind tonight when I'm mentally talking myself out of going for my swim... :)
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    I do the same thing I normally do, no matter what. And I actually end up feeling so much better afterwards.
  • mirandamayhem
    mirandamayhem Posts: 772
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    absolutely NOTHING changes for me when I have my period-
    Is this an excuse for some? Or is it that bad?? Been getting it almost 30 years- have had 3 babies- I know women who call out once a month from it- and if I was their boss Id figure out a way to fire them.

    Makes women look bad when we complain about our period I believe.

    I wish you'd been there to coach me as I curled up on a park bench yesterday after vomiting and almost passing out. I'm just such a sissy. I wish you were there to motivate me off of that bench. You have three babies, so you must know everything about every woman's menstrual cycle.

    To say we make women look bad is ridiculous! We need to go back to the old days when we would be sent away from the village to live in solitude and peace and quiet for a few days! lol. It's as bas as a woman giving birth with absolutely no pain relief and then moaning about the woman who wants an epidural and all the drugs going!
    Mine will vary from month to month. Some months I hardly notice, whilst other months I'm so anxious about being away from the toilet for more than half an hour I don't want to do anything. Sometimes I'm vomitting, sometimes I'm struck down with a horrendous migraine, sometimes I just don't even notice.

    If I don't want to work out because I feel hellish then I don't have to. I'm not going to justify myself to some holier than thou exerciser who thinks I should just suck it up and stop making women look bad. And I've had 3 kids, what the HELL that has ANYTHING to do with this I have ABSOLUTELY no idea.
  • HelenDootson
    HelenDootson Posts: 443 Member
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    I get a burst of energy the day before and find my work out very easy and so tend to push a bit further, during I am physically fine so I carry on as usual - Grumpy as sin thou :laugh:
  • desilu69
    desilu69 Posts: 79
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    Actually I find that a workout makes me feel better afterwards. Of course it is hard to initially push myself to go do it but after the workout I feel so much better. I guess like any other day of the month. :smile:
  • HannahsReturnToFitness
    HannahsReturnToFitness Posts: 86 Member
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    I work out the same amount. Before I have done less but this month I did the same if not more and had no problem with bloating and weight gain like usually have.
  • Belligerent_Wombat
    Belligerent_Wombat Posts: 63 Member
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    I just do as much as I can.

    Good for you, Joey! Way to push through the pain!

    /smarta55
    //teeheehee

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