Despite the fact that training usually helps to improve well-being and reduce some painful symptoms, sometimes it can cause problems with the menstrual cycle and other disorders in the body. We will talk about how physical exercises can affect menstruation, in what period of the cycle it is worth exercising, and what types of load to choose.
1. Exercise May Relieve Cramping
If you suffer from severe pelvic pain every month, then with regular physical training you can notice how discomfort gradually decreases. According to experts, exercise helps to release endorphins, which reduce menstrual pain. Endorphin causes an analgesic effect and helps burn prostaglandins, chemicals released during menstruation that cause muscle contractions.
To relieve pain during menstruation, try to focus on walking, swimming, running, or even cycling. Anything that causes a fast heartbeat and speeds up blood flow in your body will be beneficial.
2. Training Reduces PMS Symptoms
The American Congress of Obstetrician-Gynecologists recommends regular exercise for at least 30 minutes a day to treat most PMS symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, and low mood. The organization stipulates that for an effective treatment it is worth doing sports regularly, including on those days when you do not have PMS.
Of course, it’s very tempting to use menstruation as an excuse to skip exercises, but doctors believe that this will only aggravate your condition. You will feel much better if you remain physically active, so be sure to complete your minimum set of exercises.
A recent study in Taiwan found that women who did exercise reported less back pain, headaches, and less overall body discomfort. They also had a decrease in symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal tract, like diarrhea and constipation. Their mood became more stable than before.
3. Excessive Workouts Can Break the Cycle
If you train excessively, it can lead to a condition called amenorrhea which is a lack of menstruation. It has serious long-term consequences for your health, disrupting the thyroid gland, reproductive organs, and the body as a whole. Sometimes this can be due to the fact that you burn much more calories than you consume. All energy is directed to maintaining the most important biological processes, and if there are not enough nutrients, this breaks the work of the reproductive system.
In addition, excessive training can cause the release of stress hormones which also weakens your body's ability to release the hormones needed to normalize your menstrual cycle. Amenorrhea is usually accompanied by an abnormally low level of estrogen in the body, which leads to thinning and brittle bones.
This means that even if you are healthy now, after a few years you may develop problems with your limbs. Watch your menstrual cycle and if menstruation disappears completely or becomes less common, it makes sense to consult a specialist.
4. Intensive Training Can Lead to Bleeding Beyond Your Period
Due to excessive loads, the menstrual cycle is interrupted but in some situations, it can lead to bleeding beyond menstruation. Stress and rapid weight loss also lead to this, as these factors affect the functioning of the hormones in the body. Bleeding can also signal the development of cancerous tumors, infections of the reproductive organs, and other serious medical conditions that cannot be ignored.
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