Exercise:

When your period comes or just before it, your body might feel a very natural urge to slow down. There’s lots of ways you can honour this. Research suggests that even if you feel like not exercising at all, it is much better to do some low-impact exercise such as yoga, walking or doing what you normally do, with a bit less intensity. This could be as simple as changing your exercise routine to mirror your energy levels and bodies needs during your period. It might mean that if you go to the gym and lift weights, you reduce those weights for a couple of days, or if you are training for a long run, you do some shorter runs or even go for a walk or even do some gentle yoga. Styles of yoga like Luna or restorative yoga focus on practise that reflects your bodies needs for both regular and irregular cycles and focuses on working with your cycle to nourish your body in the right way. Research shows that continuing to exercise on the lead up to and during your period can help with pain management, can decease instances of PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), improve your energy levels and enhance your mood. 

Slowing down and decreasing intensity not only allows your body to deal with the extra energy expenditure of your period but it also allows your body to deal more effectively with existing inflammation (your period causes a level of inflammation in your body). Exercising vigorously can also cause inflammation. Doing gentler exercise or less exercise can allow you to be kinder to yourself and work with your body more.