Many girls feel that they cannot exercise during menstruation.
Some sisters left a message in the background, saying that after running, they found that menstruation was coming, and they were worried that it would cause menstrual blood to flow back.
I want to know what Zhimei thinks about this problem, today you are right.
No.
It is rumored that running or upside down yoga asanas will cause menstrual blood to flow backwards into the pelvic cavity, and the endometrium will "run" to where it should not be, forming endometriosis.
In fact, "menstrual blood reflux" is a normal physiological phenomenon, about 90% of women have this condition, but only 10% to 15% of women develop endometriosis [1,2].
This is because most of the time, the body also has other problems at the same time, such as immune abnormalities, can not normally remove the reverse flow of endometrial fragments, the endometrium can take root, grow, inflame, and eventually form endopathy [1-4].
Moreover, even if it is inverted, it will not affect the direction of menstrual blood outflow, and female astronauts will menstruate normally in the absence of gravity in space [5,6].
Nor have any studies showed that menstrual exercise increases the risk of endeopathy.
Therefore, menstruation is not completely inactive.
If it is not severe dysmenorrhea, the amount of menstruation is particularly large, and then pay attention to some small details during menstrual exercise, then menstrual exercise is not only harmless, but also has many benefits.
For example, endorphins secreted by exercise can be used as natural painkillers to alleviate dysmenorrhea, headaches, and back pain, improve mood, and relieve fatigue [7,8].
Continuous exercise of endocrine endorphins in the body
Makes people feel happy and stress-relieving
▼
(Source: TED)
Exercise can also promote blood circulation, accelerate menstrual blood discharge, promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, and alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort such as flatulence [8].
But pay attention to 5 small details:
01
Menstrual exercise can be "sneaky lazy", and the single exercise time should not exceed 60 minutes.
Studies have shown that moderate-intensity exercise of more than 60 minutes during menstruation may be more likely to induce inflammation [9].
Therefore, menstrual exercise, feeling comfortable on your own is the most important, as soon as you feel tired or abdominal pain, stop immediately.
02
Do not do lumbar and abdominal exercises that are too strenuous, aggressive, and increase abdominal pressure.
For example, various sports competitions, squats, hula hoops, bobby jumps, flat supports, sit-ups.
If you feel that strenuous exercise is blurry, you can roughly judge it like this:
See if your breathing will be very short after doing it;
The heartbeat does not exceed 60% of the maximum heart rate (the maximum heart rate equals 220 minus age).
03
Don't do the "inner roll" yoga action.
Although there is no scientific basis for this claim, some scholars believe that this position compresses the uterine veins, resulting in poor blood flow and blood stasis [9].
04
Pay attention to hydration when exercising.
Sweating more during exercise, and studies have shown that drinking more water during menstruation can reduce dysmenorrhea and shorten the duration of menstruation (because it accelerates the outflow of menstrual blood) [10], so it is recommended that everyone drink more water.
05
Replace sanitary napkins in time after exercise.
Menstrual blood may be more likely to get sick before and after menstruation, and menstrual blood is a natural "bacterial medium", so after menstrual exercise, pay more attention to hygiene than usual.
First of all, it is recommended to change sanitary napkins (or tampons) immediately, preferably bathing and changing clothes as soon as possible .[11]
As long as you pay attention to the previous principles, there are many exercises suitable for menstruation, such as [11, 12]:
1. Take a walk
If you're still worried about a strenuous workout that will cause the menstrual blood to flow backwards, or you're sore and tired and don't want to move, a walk in the park is undoubtedly the best choice!
You don't have to ask yourself to take 10,000 steps, even if you walk for 10 minutes, it's exercise.
2. Mild aerobic exercise
Jogging, simple health dance, etc. are all good choices.
If you are accustomed to regular aerobic exercise, mild aerobic is an excellent choice, but it is best to be less intense than usual.
3. Light strength training
If you are usually used to lifting iron, menstruation is not impossible to lift, but to reduce weight appropriately.
And because menstrual estrogen-progesterone levels drop, strength training is better [13].
4. Stretching and balancing training
Common stretching and balancing exercises include yoga, Pilates, etc.
If you don't like to move, you can do some simple stretching.
Stretching the body has a good relaxing effect and can also relieve menstrual cramps, breast swelling, muscle fatigue and soreness.
Of course, if you just want to borrow your period to steal a lazy, then menstruation is not suitable for exercise!
Reviewer
Liu Haiphong | Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University
bibliography
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[2] Lang Jinghe. History, present situation and development of endometriosis[J]. Chinese Journal of Practical Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2020, 36(3):193-196.
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[4] Robert S Schenken. Endometriosis: Pathogenesis, clinical features, and diagnosis.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/endometriosis-pathogenesis-clinical-features-and-diagnosis UpToDate. Jul 15,2021.
[5] Leah Sugerman. Is it safe to practice inversions during menstruation? https://yogainternational.com/article/view/is-it-safe-to-practice-inversions-during-menstruation1
[6] Pam Belluck. Periods in Space Are Not That Different, Though a Bit More Complicated.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/science/periods-in-space-are-not-that-different-though-a-bit-more-complicated.html April 21,2016.
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[8] Sara Lindberg, Valinda Riggins Nwadike. Can You Exercise on Your Period? https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-during-period Updated: Sep.17,2018
[9] Hayashida, H, Shimura, M, Sugama, K, et al. (2016). Exercise-induced inflammation during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Journal of Physiotherapy and Physical Rehabilitation, 1, 121. DOI: 10.4172/2573-0312.1000121
[10] Torkan B, Mousavi M, Dehghani S, et al. The role of water intake in the severity of pain and menstrual distress among females suffering from primary dysmenorrhea: a semi-experimental study. BMC Womens Health. 2021;21(1):40. Published 2021 Jan 28. doi:10.1186/s12905-021-01184-w
[11] Andrei Marhol. Exercising During Your Period: Benefits and Things to Avoid. https://flo.health/menstrual-cycle/lifestyle/fitness-and-exercise/exercising-during-period Updated Nov. 23,2021.
[12] Lifestyle Desk, New Delhi. Should you exercise during periods? Here’s what a doctor recommends.https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/exercise-during-periods-5-must-tries-7647510/ Jan. 2,2022.
[13] Wikstr m-Frisén L. Training and hormones in physically active women : with and without oral contraceptive use [Internet] [PhD dissertation]. [Ume ]: Ume universitet; 2016. (Ume University medical dissertations). Available from: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-124842
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