It has been said countless times before—exercise is a key factor in keeping our bodies healthy. Adding in extra workout time during the week has been proven to decrease stress levels and give us a positive outlook. Knowing that cardio improves our overall health should be enough for all of us to start working out. However, for women, the benefits may be even greater. Some doctors think that regular exercise can help alleviate menstrual cycle pain. Working out may just be the simple solution to decreasing the pain from cramps, but just how often we need to work out to feel its benefits?
A 2013 study published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research conducted a study based on forty girls between the ages of 18 and 25 who had PMS symptoms. NCBI, a medical information website, defines “premenstrual syndrome (PMS) [as] a combination of physical, psychological, or behavioral changes in the late secretary phase of menstrual cycle and interferes with interpersonal relationships or activities.” As a matter of fact, some women suffer from severe PMS that actually inhibits them from doing much other than laying on the couch during the first few days of their period.
A health and wellness website, Live Strong, states that “pain associated with menstruation is known medically as dysmenorrhea. In primary dysmenorrhea, pain is usually due to increased levels of hormones called prostaglandins, which trigger contractions in the uterine and intestinal walls,” and causes the discomfort we feel. The study mentioned in Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research focused on women who were not physically active prior to the study in order to see the differences, if any, in PMS symptoms after a period of eight weeks of working out. NCBI states that “daily symptoms were recorded for 4 months (two courses before the training period and two during training).” Those in the experimental group “practiced aerobic exercise for 8 weeks, three sessions per week for 60 minutes [and] were evaluated during the first, second, and third menstrual period” in order to see the results that working out had on PMS symptoms, NCBI states. Now, doesn’t exercising for only three days a week seems like an easy price to pay if it puts an end to cramps?
The study concluded that “8 weeks of aerobic exercise is effective in reducing the symptoms of PMS and can be used as a treatment,” NCBI explains. In addition to lowering stress levels and increasing mood which exercise has been known for, there are medical reasons why exercising helps lessen PMS symptoms. Live Strong says that exercise “increases blood circulation, which helps cramps to go away [and that] menstrual cramps are also made worse by stress,” which we already know exercise helps diminish. NCBI concludes that the study found that compared to the results of :
“4 weeks of aerobic exercise, overall, 31% of PMS, 29% physical symptoms, and 33% psychological symptoms were reduced, and after 8 weeks this reduction rate became 60%, 65%, and 52%, respectively.”
Verdict: Fact. Regular exercise can help to reduce the pains and symptoms of PMS, and, even better, working out as little as three times a week might be more than enough to reap the rewards! Start incorporating exercise into your weekly routine to help ease period discomfort. Speak to your doctor to find exercise programs that will benefit you.
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