Habit 2: Regular Exercise

Habit 2: Regular Exercise

What is it?

High-intensity cardio workouts like treadmill, Zumba, and running are useful in relieving period cramps.

Regimen:

• What - High-intensity cardio workouts (treadmill, Zumba, running)

• How much - Minimum 3x a week, 30mins a day.

• When - Recommended throughout the month/cycle, apart from during menstruation (unless already in the habit or able to tolerate high physical activity during menstruation)

• How long - At least 12 weeks (or 3 menstrual cycles)

How does it work?

Doing exercise daily and not only during periods has major health benefits in the long run. Exercise doesn’t only help relieve period pain, but it also has a positive effect on other PMS symptoms¹.

1. Endorphin release: When we exercise, our brain releases endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals, and thus they improve mood and manage anxiety.

2. Increased blood circulation: Exercising increases blood circulation in the body, and therefore helps in reducing pain in the body, including cramps and headaches.

What is the efficacy?

Methods: Seventy women with primary dysmenorrhea were included in the study. The experimental group underwent supervised aerobic training for 4 weeks, followed by unsupervised home exercise for the next 6 months. The control group continued usual care. The primary outcome was pain. Secondary outcomes included quality of life (QoL), daily functioning, and sleep.

Results: After the 4-week training, compared to the control group exercise significantly improved primary outcomes pain quality (mean difference (MD) -1.9, 95% CI 3.8 to −0.04, p < .05), and intensity (MD -4.7, 95% CI -9.3 to −0.09, p < .05), but not present pain. Significant effects were also reported for pain interference (MD -1.7, 95% CI -3.4 to −0.02, p < .05) at 4 weeks; the other outcomes did not significantly differ between groups at this time. During the follow-up period of 7 months, the effect on pain improved to 22 mm (95% CI 18 to 25). Significant benefits of exercise were maintained up to 7 months for present pain, QoL, and daily functioning.

Conclusion: Exercise has significant effects on primary dysmenorrhea-related pain, QoL, and function.²

References

1. Sanchez BN, Kraemer WJ, Maresh CM. Premenstrual syndrome and exercise: A narrative review. Women. 2023;3(2):348–64. doi:10.3390/women3020026.

1. Kannan P, Chapple CM, Miller D, Claydon-Mueller L, Baxter GD. Effectiveness of a treadmill-based aerobic exercise intervention on pain, daily functioning, and quality of life in women with primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2019 Jun;81:80–6. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2019.05.004.