A question for the ladies

[Shotokan-kez]

Hi all ladies. Can your MA training help with period pains? I never go karate at that time of the month because i suffer with it painfully and hormonally. I later heard that all the training can actually help. I don't like missing lessons at all so i hate this. Can any ladies shed any light on this matter? Sorry boys not a very good one for you lol

Kez

[Aodhan]

Hi all ladies. Can your MA training help with period pains? I never go karate at that time of the month because i suffer with it painfully and hormonally. I later heard that all the training can actually help. I don't like missing lessons at all so i hate this. Can any ladies shed any light on this matter? Sorry boys not a very good one for you lol

Kez

I can't comment to the lessening of the pain, but in female athletes with low body fat and high intensity training, they will often experience amenorrhea, or the lack of a period.

Aodhan

[fosforlu]

aodhan, I'd never heard of that before. i would guess that you'd have to be training in an unhealthy way for that to happen. right?

anyway, just from personal experience, if i get some exercise, especially on the first day, i don't get cramps. although mine have never been intense, i've stopped getting them altogether since i've started training regularly. if i don't have training that day, i make sure i jog, take a long walk or do some power yoga. i guess you could try training and see if it works for you.

[greenbelt_girl15]

training does help with cramps, in fact any active exercize will most likely help.

[Aodhan]

aodhan, I'd never heard of that before. i would guess that you'd have to be training in an unhealthy way for that to happen. right?

No, not at all. It's very common among female athletes with low body fat percentages, actually. Nothing unhealthy about it, and cycles resume normally once body fat percentages rise. Do a google search for "exercise induced amenorrhea", and read a few of the articles. (Stick to the medically oriented journal articles, there's a lot of quack information out there.)

Aodhan

[ramymensa]

Don't know if it helped or not. For my easy times on the period I should thank my oral contraceptives, the pill seems to do a great job. I have always trained while on my period, I was a bit weak, but it was OK.

[Shotokan-kez]

Hi everyone thanks for the comments. I did decide to train tonight but i almost fainted and had to sit out half the session. I have to admit the exercise did help with the pain and i hardly felt it at all. But i ended up getting very hot and dizzy and had to sit out. Well at least i know now.

Kez xx

[ninjanurse]

I sure hope you don't let one experience with dizziness keep you from training during your menses! It could be just a coincidence or you may need to increase your fluids as you will naturally diurese (lose water) the first few days of your period.

[fosforlu]

No, not at all. It's very common among female athletes with low body fat percentages, actually. Nothing unhealthy about it, and cycles resume normally once body fat percentages rise. Do a google search for "exercise induced amenorrhea", and read a few of the articles. (Stick to the medically oriented journal articles, there's a lot of quack information out there.)

Aodhan

Thanks Aodhan! I'll read up on it but it still sounds scary to me.

[June1]

It really depends on the woman, I think. In my case (and this is getting really personal), the first two days of menses are difficult, but the rest of it is just great, so I would be able to handle classes only then. I once got it right when class was starting, and the pain was bad enough that I had to go home.