Push yourself to Exercise
When you are ill and irritable during menses, it can be difficult to start of an exercise. But just a little motivation to start the work out and continue it for 10 minutes and you may be surprised to see that you still have that energy to continue. Get moving! and it can lessen your pain and discomfort. Exercise can also give you healthy boost of energy.
I would advice that, all women of any age should continue exercising even during menses. You know your body well and you will soon find out how your body responds to exercise, so you can adjust your level of exercise and activity accordingly.
You need to listen to your body if you think you need to take it easy then do so. Dont let periods be an excuse to get out of exercise but yes same time dont push yourself too hard.
Exercises which can be done during Menses
AEROBIC EXERCISE
It helps you to enhance your mood and enthusiasm and energy levels. Perform exercise with moderate intensity. It will help you to alleviate your cramps and reduce bloating. It also helps to increase blood circulation.
YOGA
Focuses on breathing and relaxation technique to alleviate stress and tensions. It provides time for you to focus on your emotions. Stretches for abdomen can help to soothe painful uterine muscles.
LIFTING WEIGHTS
If you dont feel like doing aerobics lift weights will help you to built up stronger muscles and bones and increase your metabolism which will burn fat.
HOME EXERCISES
1) PELVIC STRETCH
When muscles are contracting it causes pain, best way is to stretch it. One of the great exercise to stretch your abdomen and same time to strengthen your back is Bridging.
Lie flat on the floor with both hands resting by your sides. Your feet firmly flat on floor shoulder width apart. Slowly contract your abdominal, lower back and gluts and lift your midsection. Focus on slow upward and downward movement. Ideally 1 rep every 5-10 sec.
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| Bridging |
Try keeping your body well aligned so your muscles are relaxed.Pelvic rocking exercise is cat pose in yoga.
a) On all four position let pelvis fall down naturally as far as possible and then raw in the pelvis back in by curving spine.
Don't let abdominal muscles drop as you are in this position.
b) Sit on a chair and lean forward and back and side to side while keeping body straight.
OTHER METHODS
- Hydrate: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. It will help you to remove toxins from your body.
- Avoid tea,coffee: It may cause hampering of the iron absorption and utilization leading to anemia .
- Warm bath or a Heat pad on abdomen will help you to relax your abdominal muscle and increase the blood supply.
- Decrease salt intake: As water retention will be more if you consume more salts and hence bloating happens.
- Acupressure: Applying 15-30 seconds of direct deep pressure on acupressure points using thumb or fingertips till you get a numbness and repeating it on opposite side again. It helps to relieve menstrual cramps ,regulate menstrual cycle and also relieves bloating. Spleen 6: located inner side of ankle about 4 finger breadths above ankle bone. Stomach 36: located 3 inches below knee and one finger breadth away from outer aspect of shin bone
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| SPLEEN 6 |
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| STOMACH 36 |
Getting menses is the most beautiful transition of a girl to women-hood. Its just like our any other physiological process. If its properly understood and taken care of it will soon just be a part of your life.
Cheers !!!
This breaks the commonly held myth that one should take it easy during one's periods. I remember thinking a few years ago that how much easier periods are to get through on a weekday when you are fully busy than on a weekend when you'd typically have a lot of time at hand.
ReplyDeleteMy personal experience with exercising has been that periods or no periods, exercising has made me feel better physically as well as mentally.