Periods and Exercise: INTIMINA Survey Reveals Women's Exercise Habits During Menstruation

Survey raises awareness of the importance of working with your period, not against it.

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Women often ask if they should be exercising while menstruating. While expert advice supports how exercise reduces pain and cramps, there remains the myth about needing to rest during your period.

To further understand how menstruation affects women's readiness to exercise and train, international women's healthcare brand, INTIMINA, surveyed their social media followers to ask them to share exercise habits during menstruation.

The survey surprisingly uncovered that most women (79%) take a day off from exercise when their period starts. Additional findings revealed:  

• The biggest reasons for not exercising during menstruation are cramps (25%), as well as heavy flow and fear of leaking (28%).
• However, 78% of the survey respondents would recommend working out during your period because of its benefits, such as reducing cramps (38%).
• Almost half of the respondents (46%) said their physical sports performance is better or the same during their period compared to when there is no bleeding.

"The menstrual cycle has four different phases marked by rising and falling levels of key hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone, which can affect our dietary needs and response to different types of exercise," says Dr. Shree Datta, gynecologist and an INTIMINA medical advisor. "Due to hormonal fluctuations, diet and exercise performance may be affected in the days leading up to and during your period. However, it's still sad to hear that 79% of women take time off from a sports activity because of their period. It may be due to various factors, such as the practicalities of using menstrual products and our mood and approach to exercise during menstruation. There's some evidence to suggest our bodies may respond better to high-intensity exercise in the first half of the menstrual cycle, as oestrogen levels increase."

While people who struggle with intense PMS or the more debilitating PMDD shouldn't push themselves to train during these times if it doesn't feel right, planning sports activities according to what our body says can be the best solution for most women.

"Tracking your sleeping, eating and exercise habits to take a personalized approach to your diet and exercise program can help, as this is likely to improve your exercise performance," says Dr. Datta. "Knowing your menstrual cycle can help you consider what type of exercise to focus on, when to undertake strenuous exercise and how your moods may be affected depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle."

For more information on INTIMINA and additional insights on working with your period to discover your best workouts, please visit www.intimina.com.

About INTIMINA
Established in 2009, INTIMINA is a Swedish brand with a complete line of products for intimate well-being. With two care ranges – Menstrual Care and Pelvic Floor Strengthening – INTIMINA has products for women of all ages. Every product is made from the highest quality body-safe materials, and has been designed and tested with the support of a worldwide group of medical consultants and gynecologists.

Media Contact
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SOURCE INTIMINA