Breeze Through Your Period!
“Owww” “Dang! I just got my periods. *Sigh, my entire workout schedule is going to go for a toss for a week! Why does it have to be like this?!” This is a question 90% urban women ask themselves when it’s “that time of the month”. But here’s some food for thought: It definitely doesn’t have to be like this, we say!
We do understand how much you love staying in bed with those soft covers over your head and relaxing away. But guess what ladies, exercise is a healthier option during your periods. Here’s your guide to physical activity or exercise during periods.
The PMS Phase
It definitely isn’t rocket science that a good workout releases a rush of the ‘happy hormones’ in your body. Regular exercise before your period helps relieve PMS. It’s a proven fact that if you do set foot in the gym during the PMSing phase, you are most likely to keep fatigue at bay, achieve better zzzzz time at night and the best part; it’s a pure & natural mood lifter. Depending on the day of your cycle, you can chose your level of exercise; light, moderate or heavy. Whatever works for you should definitely be carried forward into the next period cycle as well.
The Period Phase
We so understand how your period cramps your style & your schedule. But trust us when we say exercise helps you keep fit during your period too. There’s certainly no scientific reason for you to skip activities or a workout schedule. Nothing except old wives tales. Physically you can continue to do the same tasks as you have been doing every day.
Aerobics
If you feel a drop in your energy levels and do not feel like going through your regular, structured workout, the best bet would be aerobics. Thirty minutes of aerobics helps relieves you of menstrual cramps, bloating problems and mood swings as well. Any form of physical activity can lead to an increase in blood circulation and this greatly boosts your energy levels.
Yoga
Yoga is a proven technique and a mild exercise form during menstruation. Yoga techniques can considerably alleviate period related stress and put you in a calm mood. It helps you control your emotions rather than going through emotional highs and lows as is common then. Here’s a more in depth article (link to yoga blog article) about the various poses you can perform during Yoga.
Dead weights
Most preferred, you are actually relaxing and not performing some heavy duty exercise and neither are you contorting your body into various positions. Weightlifting, as we all know helps build muscle and leads to higher metabolism. The key here is to lift lighter weights (lighter than what you normally would) and workout all major muscle groups.
Recommendations
We do recommend moderate activity and exercises during your period cycle to keep a healthy mind and a fit body. But certainly don’t overdo it as all of us have a different physical structure, varied symptoms and different reactions during our periods. Whatever lifts you up; a relaxing yoga session, a light jog, an aerobic session or a long walk, ensure that you take up any form of physical activity as a must-do during your cycle.
