Periods! Not the time to be down

Why is it important to work out regularly while on your periods?

This one is for all our girls out there, because well, boys do not have this privilege every month of the year. How many of us feel comfortable during periods, just like any other day? Do you guys suffer from bad cramps, bloating, mood swings, feeling like just lying down on your bed watching Netflix with a heating pad on your stomach? Well that sounds just like us, we even missed our work on certain days when the pain was unbearable and spent the days just sleeping.

This was us until I, Akriti discovered the healthy and active lifestyle that changed my life two years ago. That lifestyle grows on you and once you know the benefits of exercise and healthy eating, you won’t ever stop, trust me. Because I never did and I have never been better. We used to be under the impression that if we work out during periods, it will be messy and it’ll elevate the pain. Top three myths debunked right here -

1) I might pass out if I exercise during periods – Well as long as you have eaten well and are hydrated, there is no chance of you passing out while exercising. And not just yoga, we are talking about weightlifting and cardio here. Yes, you read that right! You can do it all in moderation as long as you’re in control of your body.

2) I might bleed heavily if I exercise during periods – Many of us think that if we exercise during periods our flow would increase and we might bleed out more than usual. However, the fact is that it hardly makes a difference. To the contrary, it helps regulate your flow.

3) It will intensify my cramps further – This was our main worry and sole reason we never used to work out while on our periods, thinking that the pain might increase and then what on earth would we do? Taking lots of pain killers is not very good either for our bodies and to our surprise, exercise was our pain killer and our life savior.

The horror stories about period exercises are absolutely avoidable and unnecessary because the benefits trump those stories single handedly and if you are not already doing it, here are a few reasons to help you make your mind about exercising during your favorite time of the month -

1) Helps your partners and loved ones by decreasing your PMS symptoms – We all know for a fact that when we are PMSing, we can be really difficult to handle and all of our loved ones have to bear with the tantrums and whining that come their way every month. But we could cut them some slack if we start exercising during our periods, because it could hugely help reduce our fatigue and mood swings that come along every month to shake us up. Light cardio, aerobics, yoga or pilates can help reduce the symptoms and keep us happy.

2) Endorphins, Endorphins and more Endorphins to relieve you from those deadly cramps – Those cramps, when they settle in, can pretty much take away all your happiness, and not to mention mobility. But when you work out, your body releases Endorphins, also known as the natural pain killers (happy hormones) that give you a happy high and hence help you reduce that deadly pain almost immediately. So, ditch those harmful painkillers and help your body release those natural ones to keep you happy and pain free.

3) Performance booster, Period! – There is a study by Umea University, Sweden that states that exercising during the first two weeks of menstruation, starting from the first day of the cycle can hugely improve performance in the prettier gender. So, this could help us all by enhancing our performance which can be put to use at work, home or wherever we want.

4) Helps you sleep like a baby without any medication – When we are PMSing and experiencing a variety of moods like anger, sadness, anxiety, etc. clubbed with excruciating pain, it is very difficult to find some peaceful sleep. Now, if you were to go for a run or practice some yoga poses just before bed time, it’ll make all the difference in the world in terms of your quality of sleep. Do some light stretches, downward dogs, lunges or just walk around a bit and see the difference when you get to bed that night. The post-exercise drop in body temperature can create sleepy feelings and also relax tense muscles and lift menstrual migraines.

Female athletes participating in various events throughout the year, cannot request the event organizers to keep the events as per their period dates, well the very event might just never happen in that case because so many women might have different dates and cycles. But unfortunately, that’s not an option and they have to perform irrespective of the day of the month.

So, you might not get into those sumo squats or 100 pounds deadlifts straight, but resting your butts on those comfy sofa’s and bed’s is also not an option because the benefits are plentiful and helpful. So, get up and get going and you might just feel your best during your next periods. Wear those hot shorts or tank tops without guilt and get going. And don’t worry, you won’t get dirty only sweatier and happier.