It is quite common for women to feel low on energy and tired during their periods. Hormonal fluctuations experienced during the menstrual cycle can make it a tough task for women to maintain their daily routines, including physical exercises like running. There are many symptoms you might face during your cycle, but you can find your way around them and indulge yourself in running. Let’s go through some tips for running on your period.
Should You Run During Your Periods?
While there are many hormonal shifts during the menstrual cycle, you should still run. Julie M Levitt from Northwestern Medicine says that the body’s levels of estrogen and progesterone hit their lowest during the periods. This makes women more androgynous or neutral biologically. Hence, it is actually the best time to go out on a run to burn calories and utilize that additional energy which keeps you from overheating and helping you in recovering from the symptoms of periods. However, you must not indulge yourself in the hour before your period starts, and the hour after it, since you might be experiencing cramps, which can be really hard to power through. Here are some dos and don’ts for running during your periods:
Dos
Perform proper warming up exercises. Running during periods can be a tough nut to crack for many, but proper warming up routine can help your muscles in getting relaxed and reduce the chances of cramps while running.
Wear no rash sanitary pads while running. This will help you not to worry about your apparel. No rash sanitary pads also ensure that you don’t have any inconvenience while running.
Make sure to maintain a constant speed while running. This will help you in optimally reducing the levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol in your body. This will not only ensure that you have a happy run but will also help in controlling your mood swings throughout the day.
Maintain a proper diet before and after running. Before running, make sure to consume protein and carb-rich snacks or beverages like Banana or almond milk. After the run, compensate for the energy lost by eating protein-rich foods like sprouts, meat, pulses, oats, etc.
Don’ts
While people tend to push themselves during running to increase their endurance, it is advised to not do so while on periods. Don’t exhaust yourself while on period, and only partake in light running, as the body wouldn’t be able to adapt quickly to long-distance running if you don’t do it regularly. Keep it simple and don’t try to push yourself too hard.
Try to avoid eating high-fat foods during your periods if you’re participating in running. Hunger pangs are very common during periods, and you can satiate them by consuming protein and carb-rich snacks like gummy bears, fruit salads, etc.
Conclusion
Always remember that running might be an exercise, but it is also a very relaxing and fun medium to keep your body healthy. Don’t push yourselves too hard, and stay optimally hydrated throughout the day to fully realize the potential of running during periods.
