Should You Workout While On Your Menstrual Cycle?

OK Ladies! The time has come to talk about the big TOPIC most females are afraid to ask especially if you have a male personal trainer.

Should you or shouldn’t you work out during your PERIOD?

Let’s start of by saying that not everyone’s menstrual cycle is completely the same. Some of us have very healthy periods that last 3-5 days while other women might be on birth control and only spot here and there during their cycle. There’s also other women that might be diagnosed with a condition or have fibroids that may cause them to have a very unpleasant cycle with heavy blood flow. Periods in general take a toll on our bodies because it’s going through a very big hormonal change. It’s okay to go ahead and tell your significant other that you’re not crazy, but that your hormones are just out of whack.

Before your actual period begins your body is going through ovulation for about 1 to 2 weeks, and your Estrogen and Progesterone (Female Hormones) levels are off the roof causing you to feel like a little wimp during a sad movie or going ballistic if your boyfriend doesn’t tell you he loves you every 5 mins of the day. Even extra heat will agitate you because when your Progesterone levels are high it delays your sweat response not letting your body cool off as it would normally do causing your body to overheat. We can’t forget about the famous bloating that most of us encounter which is caused by your Estrogen levels being very high and making your kidneys redistribute water flow. This is happening because your body is preparing itself to carry a fertilized egg and is preparing you to sustain a pregnancy.

THEN WALLLLAH! It’s the first day of your period and as all we ladies know it’s an odd way of Mother Nature letting us know that we aren’t pregnant. At this point your female hormones Estrogen and Progesterone are at their lowest making us more man like (see I told you we weren’t crazy). This could make us feel stronger and more resilient to pain during exercise. Exercise can also relieve cramps and lower back pains because of the natural Endorphins released in your body that will help elevate your mood.

With that said Yes ladies it’s perfectly fine to workout on your period. Everyone’s menstrual cycle is different so the most important thing is to listen to your body and don’t apply any more stress then what the body is already going through if you are having a rough period. Go for light walks, do some relaxing yoga, or even some light bike riding. Don’t be afraid to take some time off if you need it everything will be back to normal in no time and you can jump right back into your workout routine before you know it.

I hope this really helps clarify some questions I know it’s a lot of information but we are very complex human beings. Take it day by day remember one workout won’t make you fit just like one bad meal won’t make you fat it’s all about what you do on a consistent basis.