The Best Exercise To Do During Your Period
Many people feel tired, bloated, and uncomfortable while on their period. If you've ever tried to work out during that time of the month, you know how frustrating it can be to feel sluggish and unmotivated. While it's fine to take a break from exercise if you have cramps or nausea, working out can actually make you feel more comfortable overall.
According to Medical News Today, exercising while on your period can improve your mood, reduce fatigue, and reduce mild to moderate menstrual pain. Workouts that gently move your body are ideal for people who may have cramps or uncomfortable bloating. This makes yoga one of the best exercises to do on your period. Yoga can help you stretch out muscles that may feel tight because of your cramps. It also encourages you to be mindful of your body, which can help you find positions that are the most physically and emotionally healing.
"As a yoga teacher, I encourage my students to develop a connection to their bodies and to do what feels good," Nathalia Basso, a yoga instructor who helps people regain balance in their wellness routines, told Byrdie. "My advice is to get in tune with your body and do what feels good. This might mean that you're upside down all day while on your period, or you avoid inversions completely." If you haven't done yoga while on your period before, try a variety of poses to find out what feels best.
Most forms of exercise are safe to do on your period
Although yoga is a great workout option for cramping and bloating, the best exercise to do on your period is the one that feels the best. According to Leada Malek, PhD, a board-certified sports physical therapist, there's no evidence to suggest that any exercise is "bad" while you're on your period. "However, because fatigue and perceived exertion are real indicators of exercise performance, it's important to do what you feel like and what you think your body is capable of doing," Malek told Byrdie. "Monitor your intensity, and be sure to give yourself breaks."
That means anything from yoga to walking to HIIT is fine during this time of the month, as long as it makes you feel good. You can still do your favorite kind of exercise if you're uncomfortable or nauseous too. Just tone down the level to someone more tolerable. If you like to run, for example, you may need to decrease your speed or even shift to power walking for the first couple days of your period. If you usually lift weights, you can decrease the amount of weight you handle to make the exercise easier on your body. Whatever makes those cramps a little better is worth it.