Menstruation isn’t a reason to skip a workout. Put preconceptions and biases aside, and don’t use it as an “excuse” to sit on the sofa all day instead of going to the gym. Furthermore, exercising while menstruation offers a number of advantages for you, including a decrease in menstrual discomfort, a reduction in probable fluid retention, and an additional source of energy that helps you avoid mood swings and worry.
Hormones can have an impact on muscular development. Women who took part in a research at Ruhr University Bochum exercised on various days of their menstrual cycle. Their training was substantially more successful in the days leading up to the ovulatory period than in the days thereafter. This implies that oestrogen encourages the synthesis of protein, which aids in the development of muscle growth.
If you wish to exercise on the days you have your period, it is best to do so gradually if you are not feeling very active. On such days, going for a walk or a run, practicing yoga, or focusing on mobility and breathing courses are all wonderful alternatives to going to the gym. It doesn’t mean you don’t exercise if you don’t feel like it; it simply means you listen to your body and do the training you want to do without pushing ‘the machine’.
Training With Menstruation? Yes!
There is an urban tale that women should not participate in sports during their menstruation. This misconception must be debunked, since menstruation does not affect our scheduled exercises, particularly if we are not exceptional athletes, other than feeling more or less energetic -which is already quite personal.
Nothing will stop us from continuing to practice sports, modifying the intensity to our physical condition, if the period is not uncomfortable. Menstruation may be quite painful at times, resulting in dysmenorrhea, which can cause vomiting, hot flushes, back pain, and headaches. We should not avoid modest exercises such as yoga, pilates, or mobility classes, even in these situations. According to some research, endurance activities may alleviate the symptoms of dysmenorrhea by up to 20% owing to endorphin generation.
Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle
- The first step is to understand the menstrual cycle stages so that we can tailor our training to each one. Menstruation is the beginning day of the menstrual cycle, which lasts between 24 and 38 days. The follicular phase takes place in the ovaries. The brain sends signals to the ovaries to be ready to release an egg. The second phase, also known as the follicular phase, is the time between periods and ovulation. It lasts between 10 and 12 days.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone released by the brain that causes the ovary to form follicles, which contain eggs. Only one of these follicles, known as the dominant follicle, will grow further, and it will be in charge of releasing the ovule from the cycle.
- The ovulatory phase is the third phase. The pituitary gland gets a signal when oestrogen levels are high, which causes a rise in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. The egg will be released from the ovary into the fallopian tubes when this hormone reaches its peak. This will be about day 14, around the middle of the cycle.
- The luteal phase, which occurs between ovulation and the following period, is the fourth phase. It might last anywhere from 9 to 16 days. The egg moves down the fallopian tube in preparation for fertilisation. The typical ovum survival time is 24-48 hours. The corpus luteum disintegrates between days 9 and 11 following ovulation if fertilisation does not occur. As a result, oestrogen and progesterone levels decline, signalling the start of the next period.
