6 Outdoor Activities That Are Great Exercises For Period Pains

Exercise plays a vital role in our health and fitness. The amount of physical activity we indulge in plays a crucial role in the functioning of our bodies. Aerobic exercise helps build and maintain cardiac health which in turn regulates overall fitness and is the best workout for menstrual cramps. Regular aerobic exercise of at least 150 minutes per week is recommended for good health by doctors

However, PMS symptoms and period discomfort can cause a hindrance in daily workout routines. Period pain, severe menstrual cramps, and bloating can often make exercise difficult for women. However, research has found that working out on period days can help in the reduction of these PMS symptoms and facilitate a healthy weight and menstrual cycle.

Heavy workouts at the gym or fitness center can appear too demanding during period days. But saying no to a heavy workout doesn't mean you can't get your daily exercise from anywhere else. There are ways to get your body moving and feeling refreshed even on period days.

Here are 6 outdoor activities that are great exercises to relieve menstrual cramps.

1. Run to alleviate period pain

Running or jogging at your own pace is a great way of approaching fitness during periods. Taking a run outside, in a park, or on a running track early in the morning can help release endorphins in the body that can tackle period pain. Taking a run can be beneficial to the gastric system as well as it can help in the prevention of bloating and indigestion that can occur during periods. 

If you are not a morning person, going for a run in the evening and watching a sunset can make you feel good during periods. The outdoors are a blessing that we can't get in the closed environment of a gym or a fitness center. Make sure you make the most of it while focusing on your run. A step tracker or an app that analyses your running can help keep a track of your workout. So what are you waiting for? Start running!

2. Roller skate your way to a happy period

Periods can make women irritable and grouchy. This is mostly because of the hormonal imbalance and the pain that accompanies period days. Roller skating is a fun way to get out of your house and feel the wind on your skin.

Roller skating can work out your upper leg muscles, hips, glutes, and core muscles. It can help in burning a good amount of calories and help your body get the movement that it needs. It can be considered a moderate-intensity workout that can burn around 260-300 calories per 30 minutes depending on the weight of the person. This aerobic workout is as good as rowing a boat or cycling in terms of effectiveness.

Try out roller-skating outdoors as an exercise during your period days to get your mind off the menstrual pain and mood swings.

3. Biking for your menstrual health

Biking /cycling is a great way to get some aerobic exercise during periods. It is one of those exercises that is both fun and an effective way to get your body moving outdoors. Biking can improve muscle strength, mobility, and posture. Biking during periods can increase the flow of blood towards the pelvic region and the core. This can facilitate the easy passing of menstrual blood and clots. It can even ease out menstrual cramps.

Biking for around an hour can burn 450-750 calories on average. This is a great aerobic exercise to escape your period blues and get your body to do some work. Biking in a serene location like a park or a calm street can help you relax and elevate your mood. The exercise can release endorphins in the body that calm the body muscles as well as the mind.

Give biking a try and see the positive impact it makes on your menstrual health.

4. Brisk walk to choose an active life during periods

Brisk walking is the most preferred form of aerobic exercise by many women during periods. It is the perfect moderate-intensity outdoor exercise that requires no training or equipment. Brisk walking can provide pain relief from menstrual cramps. 
Watching your form, engaging your core and brisk walking firmly improve the circulation of blood throughout the body and to the uterus. This helps in alleviating intense pain during periods. 

There is no reason to skip your workout during periods. 30 minutes to 1 hour of brisk walking is a full-body workout that can benefit you physically as well as mentally. The release of endorphins after this type of aerobic workout can benefit heart health, muscle health, and menstrual health. Try brisk walking with light dumbles to increase the impact of your workout. 

Forming a habit of brisk walking every day can boost stamina, fitness, and regulate body functions.

5. Skateboard

Skateboarding is a unique way to go about fitness. Learning and mastering skateboarding can take some time but it is surely worth it. Skateboarding involves balancing, engaging the core muscles, jumping, and driving your body in the forward direction. The key to skateboarding is balance and practice. 

Sports scientists have confirmed that skateboarding is a vigorous exercise that can burn around 350-575 calories per hour on average. 

Skateboarding is an aerobic exercise that can benefit the cardiovascular system and build muscular strength. Sweating it out while skateboarding can take your mind off period pain and the released endorphins can alleviate period pain. Give this unique workout a try!

6. Swim towards a peaceful period

Swimming is a great way to exercise your whole body. Moving against the resistance of water puts pressure on the body's muscles which makes swimming or water exercises challenging. Swimming during periods is one of the good exercises for period cramps. The blood flow does not interfere with swimming. 

On average swimming burns around 500-700 calories per hour which is a great way to stay in shape and get some exercise during period days. Exercises like swimming can help release endorphins in the body which can reduce menstrual pain and painful cramps. 

The full-body movements while swimming is a good way of giving your body the movement that it needs on period days. Hydrotherapy can also help in relaxing mentally and emotionally during periods. 

Put on your swimsuit and get ready for taking a dip! Let swimming help you calm down during your menses

Conclusion

Periods are a time of discomfort for women and engaging in a regular workout seems rather daunting. How about you start trying out these outdoor activities which are easily the best exercises for period pain. These will help you get an ample amount of exercise during period days without adding to the discomfort. Maybe it's a good way to take a break from gym days and try out these outdoor exercises for an active and healthy period.