Do you tend to avoid exercise when you’re on your period, sis? If you’re worried about how your period will affect your fitness routine, you’re not alone. Many women find themselves skipping their workouts during this time of the month, but the truth is, sis, that endorphins might serve you better than a heat pad.
Here’s why you should exercise when you’re on your period (even when you really don’t want to!):
Natural painkiller
Endorphins are brain chemicals with pain-relieving, pleasure-inducing properties. Exercise releases endorphins, which increases the feel-good chemical dopamine and relieves pain.
Increase your energy
Exercise also decreases inflammation, improves blood flow, and increases your energy over time. This is excellent news when you’re dealing with period-related pain and fatigue. Pretty cool, huh?
Enhances your mood
Exercise tends to alleviate cramps, headache, or back pain associated with your period. It may also help release any PMS frustration, negative thoughts and feelings.
So, what are the best exercises to do when you’re on your period? It all comes down to how you feel, sis, and what you feel you can tolerate. Typically, the first two days of your period may be when you least feel like working out due to this being when your flow is the heaviest. During this time, you may feel more comfortable exercising at home. If the first few days of your periods are difficult, take it easy and make modifications to your workouts as needed.
While trying to get your one-rep-max might not be ideal during your period, strength training is a fantastic form of activity for the start of your period when intense cardio or plyometric style jumps and leaps may feel like too much.
Reducing the volume of exercises and intensity is a great way to modify your workout to fit what your body can tolerate. So if you’re used to doing four sets of everything while strength training, opt for two sets or lighter weight.
Try 2 or 3 rounds of this gentle at-home workout:
Pause Squat x 20
Step-Up x 10 each leg
Commando x 10
Push-Up On Knees x 10
Other great exercise options when you’re just not feeling it?
- Walking
- Yoga
- Light cardio
- Gentle stretches
The important thing to remember is that exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to be effective - simply move your body and get those endorphins pumping, sis.
Looking for more gentle at-home workouts to keep you moving? Try this upper body at-home workout, these low impact exercises, or download THE BOD App and get access to hundreds of home workouts for all fitness levels.
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