When you’re experiencing cramps and worrying about leakage, exercising would probably be the last thing on your mind. However, there’s no scientific proof that women should avoid exercising while on our periods. Just the contrary, women should feel more powerful during their periods, recover faster, and have a higher pain tolerance because our female hormones are at its lowest during this time, which make our bodies function more like men.
1. Light Yoga
The benefits of yoga are undeniable. It’s proven to improve body postures, build muscles and improve your strength. Apart from that, its slow pace will allow you to monitor the slightest changes to your body easily, so you can stop whenever you start to get uncomfortable. A word of caution though: poses that involve inversions are generally not recommended for women on their periods. When you’re on your period, your blood pressure tends to be lower than normal, and the sudden rush of blood to your brain during an inverse pose might cause fainting spells.
2. Brisk Walking
Brisk walking is probably the safest kind of exercise you can do while on the first few days of your period. Like yoga, you can easily monitor your body and stop when you need to. If you feel at ease, you can even progress to a jog or run. It’s a light form of exercise, and you probably won’t get that post-workout burn, but it’s definitely better than lazing on the couch and feeling miserable about yourself.
3. Weightlifting
Because you’re less sensitive to pain during your period, it is the perfect time to work with the weights. Try doing more sets, with shorter intervals, and heavier weights. Take advantage of nature’s gift during those few days to push your body to greater heights. However, do not try to drastically increase the intensity of what you’re normally used to: try upping them slightly and monitor your body closely.
4. (Light) Circuit Workouts
With circuit workouts, you can choose which area of your body to target. If you’re having it particularly bad with the cramps, you can avoid exercises that target the abdomen and opt for legs or arms instead.
5. Indoor Cycling
When you’re on your period, you are more prone to perspiring. Hence, it’s best to keep exercises indoors and away from the sun. Consider going to the gym and work those legs with some indoor-cycling instead.
