Habit 2: Regular Exercise

Habit 2: Regular Exercise

What is it?

Low-impact workouts are recommended during periods. It includes¹:

1. Walking

2. Light cardio

3. Low volume strength training

4. Yoga

5. Stretching

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 related to PMS.

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

3. Increased basal metabolic rate: Weight/resistance training increases basal metabolic rate which can help improve hormonal balance and help mitigate severity of future episodes of PMS.

What is the efficacy?

Methods: Studies were conducted where reproductive-age women diagnosed with PMS participated in randomized controlled or quasi-experimental trials evaluating regular exercise interventions, including aerobic workouts, yoga, and mixed physical-activity programs. Exercise regimens typically lasted 8–12 weeks, with 2–4 sessions per week of 20–40 minutes each. PMS symptom severity, mood, quality of life, and in some cases hormonal or fitness parameters, were assessed at baseline and after the intervention using validated tools.^2,3,4,5,6

Results: Regular exercise led to significant reductions in overall PMS symptom severity. Most consistent benefits were seen in mood, anxiety, and irritability, and moderate improvements in physical symptoms like pain and fatigue. Meta-analysis findings indicated a small-to-moderate overall effect, though results varied due to differences in exercise type and study design.

Conclusion: Regular exercise, whether aerobic, yoga, or mixed routines, is a safe and effective approach to reducing PMS symptoms and improving emotional well-being and quality of life.

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. Pearce E, Jolly K, Jones LL, Matthewman G, Zanganeh M, Daley AJ. Exercise for premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BJGP Open. 2020;4(3):bjgpopen20X101032. doi: 10.3399/bjgpope.20X101032.

1. El-Lithy A, El-Mazny A, Sabbour A, El-Deeb A. Effect of aerobic exercise on premenstrual symptoms, haematological and hormonal parameters in young women. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2015 May;35(4):389–92. doi: 10.3109/01443615.2014.960823.

2. Ayyub S, Agrawal M, Sharma V, Aravind A. The effect of physical activity on premenstrual syndrome: A systematic review. Annals of Neurosciences. 2024 Dec 16:09727531241297012.

3. Mohebbi Dehnavi Z, Jafarnejad F, Sadeghi Goghary S. The effect of 8 weeks aerobic exercise on severity of physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome: a clinical trial study. BMC women's health. 2018 May 31;18(1):80.

4. Vaghela N, Mishra D, Sheth M, Dani VB. To compare the effects of aerobic exercise and yoga on Premenstrual syndrome. Journal of education and health promotion. 2019 Jan 1;8(1):199.