Exercising during your Period

It’s that time of the month when your mood is funny (Kerem always knows when the time has come!), you crave dessert and have a bloated tummy. Personally I have pain on the first day only, but the menstruation can be quite heavy on the second day. For me, the following measures help me to feel better about myself.

PAINKILLER

It is totally okay to use a painkiller when you are in pain. I rarely use any but if my menstruation is killing me, I am using one before it gets worse and I have to stay in bed for the rest of the day. I use Minoset because this is the one my doctor prescribed during pregnancy so I assume it isn’t too strong.

TEA

Any kind of tea will make you feel better, but studies prove that fennel seeds can work as effectively as drugs like Ibufen. If you suffer from a lot of blood loss, ginger powder can be a highly recommended natural treatment. It is easy to use and has fewer side effects compared to chemical medications.

WORKOUT

Exercise releases feel-good hormones like serotonin which helps to boost your mood. A workout may also distract you from feeling uncomfortable, simply by taking your thoughts off from the pain in your pelvis.

Stacy Sims, PhD, is an Environmental Exercise Physiologist and Nutrition Scientist specialised in gender differences in athletes. She states that the best workout to do during your period is a high-interval training: ‘When your period starts, your oestrogen and progesterone levels drop. And because of this, women can access carbohydrate/glycogen easily, as compared to high-oestrogen time periods when we rely more on the slow breakdown of fat.’ In other words, this hormone shift during menstruation makes food more accessible to your body, allowing you to push harder and get more out of short, fast-paced workouts than you would during other times of the month.

LOVE

If you don’t feel like training at all, that is fine too. Be nice to yourself. Snuggle up on the couch, read a book, light a candle and drink a cup of tea. Put on some soft music and talk to a friend you miss. If you have a dog, take him for a walk outside and watch him chase a stick, that will make your day and his too. Check the movie program or Netflix and bake my quinoa muffins. They are delicious and healthy, the perfect treat for that special time in the month.