24 Feb 2012

Exercise eases premenstrual symptoms

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PMS, sore breasts, or period pain stopping you from strapping on your gym shoes and pounding it out at the gym? Strangely enough, this may be just what the doctor ordered. Naturopath Jennifer McLennan gives you a rundown on the beneficial effects of exercise on the reproductive system.

Women's health

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While we know regular exercise helps with weight management and boosts cardiovascular health, it may also have a beneficial effect on PMS. This is mostly due to the hormone balancing and calming effects that exercise can provide.

Exercise has been found to help clear oestrogen from the body. This may not seem like a big deal, but excess oestrogen has been shown to exacerbate several gynaecological conditions. Oestrogen sensitive tissues become over-stimulated by excess oestrogen causing problems like fibroids, heavy periods or breast pain.

Researchers have found women who are obese, especially those with more upper body fat, are more susceptible to the effects of excess oestrogen. This occurs because adipose tissue, or body fat, produces oestrogen, which can then contribute to dysfunction in the reproductive system.

We can tend to forget the superhero role exercise plays in saving us from additional stress and tension. Going out for a run or hitting the gym has been shown to provide a calming effect. This is especially noticeable in women suffering from PMS who reported an improvement in low mood when they commenced a steady exercise regime. Concentration, pain and premenstrual behaviour changes also improved when exercise was incorporated into their lifestyle.

For more about oestrogen excess see the article Oestrogen too little or too much.

We are all different, and so too are the exercise regimes we choose. Types of exercise that are of benefit include:

Aerobic exercise – this usually includes jogging, cycling, team sports, or gym classes such as spin, circuit, boxing or aerobics class. This type of exercise increases the heart rate and the body’s oxygen requirements, and requires good levels of fitness.

Long-distance exercise – this includes walking, swimming and cycling. This is great if you do not enjoy the gym, or are out of practice. It’s affordable and can be done anywhere. Slow, long distance exercise can have a calming effect when undertaken at a sustained pace between 30 minutes and an hour.

Weight-bearing exercise is exercise where you bear your own body weight against gravity. Examples of weight bearing exercises include walking, golf, yoga or tai chi. This type of exercise strengthens the large muscles and also helps to maintain bone strength. For the best results, undertake weight bearing exercises daily or every other day for about an hour.

References available upon request

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