Contents:
- Medical Video: 10 min Workout on Period! Best Exercises During That Time of the Month to Help with PMS
- Exercise is a powerful way to deal with menstrual pain
- What types of exercise can relieve menstrual pain?
- These three methods can also help relieve menstrual pain
- Apply hot compresses
- Drink chamomile tea
- Sufficient vitamin D intake
Medical Video: 10 min Workout on Period! Best Exercises During That Time of the Month to Help with PMS
Reporting from WebMD, almost 90% of women experience menstrual pain severe enough to disrupt their daily activities. Taking painkillers can indeed help relieve the pain. However, there are still a few people who know that mild aerobic exercise can be relied upon as a way to deal with effective menstrual pain. How can exercise eliminate menstrual pain? Check out the review below.
Exercise is a powerful way to deal with menstrual pain
Stacy Sims, a physiologist from the USA Cycling Women 's Track Endurance Program, said that regular exercise before and during menstruation can control excessive menstrual bleeding, reduce back pain, and relieve stomach cramps due to PMS.
Menstrual pain is caused by an increase in the hormone prostaglandin which triggers the tightening of the muscles of the uterus and intestines that make it sick. Now during exercise, your body produces more endorphins to "beat" the number of prostaglandins.
Endorphins are chemical compounds released by the brain to help eliminate menstrual pain. The effects of endorphins to relieve pain are even reported to be almost equivalent to the effect of morphine. In addition, the resulting endorphins will help because it makes you feel more positive and relaxed, so you feel better and not so stressed. Cramps during menstruation can be made worse by stress. In addition, exercise also facilitates blood flow that can relieve muscle cramps.
A study in the journal Research in Health Science suggests that exercise shortens the duration of pain and reduces the severity of symptoms, reducing the use of painkillers.
The same was reported by a study from Iran's Khorasgan Azad University published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. The research team looked at 40 female student respondents who had PMS. The first group was asked for 60 minutes of aerobic exercise for 3 times a week in 8 weeks, while the rest were not asked to do anything to relieve their PMS. Those who regularly exercise during menstruation report that they no longer experience severe abdominal cramps during menstruation.
What types of exercise can relieve menstrual pain?
Basically, all physical activity is good for you to do during your period. But based on the study above, researchers agreed that aerobic exercise, such asjogging, cycling, running, swimming, and walking are the best ways to deal with menstrual pain.
If you are in extreme pain, choose light aerobic exercise such as slow walking or relaxing swimming. Other activities such as yoga or Tai-chi can also help reduce pain during menstruation.
Most importantly, exercise must be routinely carried out at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes according to Paula Castani, MD, an obstetrician at Columbia University College New York.
These three methods can also help relieve menstrual pain
Apply hot compresses
Warm compresses can help stretch the muscles that tighten the cause of the pain. You just fill the plastic bottle with hot water, wrap it with a thin cloth, and stick it directly to the stomach.
Drink chamomile tea
Reported on the Medical Daily page, chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory properties and natural painkillers. The active component in chamomile tea can help reduce prostaglandin production, which relieves menstrual pain.
Sufficient vitamin D intake
To reduce pain during menstruation, make sure your body gets enough vitamin D. A study found that high doses of vitamin D3 can relieve menstrual pain. Vitamin D can be obtained from foods such as salmon, sardines, cod liver oil, shrimp, egg yolks, mushrooms, milk.
