13 Aug Cut cramp pain 22% by doing this 3 x per week
Bugged by menstrual cramp pain? Try fitting in more aerobic exercise, which is the kind of workout that gets your heart pumping, such as speed walking, jogging, biking, kickboxing and even hula hooping.
A 2019 study of 70 women between the ages of 18 and 43 shows that doing aerobic exercise three times per week cuts period pain 6% after four weeks.(1)
Keep doing it and the benefits get better from there: After six more months, study participants found their pain was reduced an impressive 22% compared to those who were not active, reports the journal Contemporary Clinical Trials.
What make regular aerobic exercise an effective way to reduce menstrual cramp aches? It may be that it spurs the production of pain-masking endorphins, which dull sensations of discomfort, or reduces stress that can intensify pain sensations.
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Source:
(1) Priya Kannan, et al., “Effectiveness of a treadmill-based aerobic exercise intervention on pain, daily functioning, and quality of life in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial,” Contemporary Clinical Trials, 81 (2019): 80-86
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