Pilates for Period Pain
Can Pilates help with period pain?
PMS symptoms can be reduced with regular Pilates practice
The time of the month can leave us feeling rubbish, from cramps to bloating to increased anxiety so getting to your regular Pilates class or exercise session can feel like a struggle. If you’ve been into the studio for a class or private sessions you’ll have heard me preach about the wonders of Pilates, there is no one who wouldn’t benefit in some way from Pilates, and period pain is no exception! Thankfully, research shows that a regular Pilates practice can improve symptoms of PMS as well as decrease bloating and abdominal cramps.
Breathing
You may know that mindful movement practices such as yoga and Pilates focus on breathing. In Pilates, we focus not just on deep breaths utilising the diaphragm but also breathing wide into the side and back ribs. The benefits of this mean that the ribs can move and stretch, the diaphragm can massage the internal organs, and this enables the pelvic floor to gently lengthen up and down. Breathing in this way also promotes relaxation, enhances mood and aids concentration. Stress can be one of the biggest factors in PMS symptoms as well as in irregular or absent periods. When we are stressed, it becomes more difficult to take bigger breaths as our bodies go into our ‘fight or flight’ autonomic nervous state, and we start to shallow breathe into the upper chest.
Your Pelvic Floor
Like all of the muscles in our body, for them to be healthy, we need them to be able to contract and release fully. With period pain, heavy periods and spotting, these muscles can become restricted. In Pilates, we focus on movements of the pelvic floor, and whilst it may not seem directly obvious, when we do any pelvic movement, hip-hinging, squatting, we are working our pelvic floor. By moving your pelvis and breathing into your pelvic floor, you are promoting blood flow, which helps to remove old blood as well as release any tightness in these muscles.
A Whole Body Approach
Pilates looks at the whole person, mind and body and deepens this connection. This can help improve the release of endorphins and blood flow to all muscles in the body. As well as increasing metabolism, it can decrease those feelings of yucky sluggishness you often feel when you’re on your period.
Pilates Exercises for Period Pain
During your period, it can feel uncomfortable to contract the abdominals, but exercises that encourage twisting of the spine and side bending can help promote blood flow to the stomach and pelvic floor. This can help the abdomen relax and decrease cramping and bloating. I have created a short video for you to use next time you’re struggling with period pain.
This video is part of a library of over 100 classes that our LHP At Home members can access. It’s our expert-led Pilates on-demand platform. Each month, you get access to new videos, so your library of classes is ever-evolving. Designed to support your practice to suit your schedule, maybe you want to move when the kids have gone to bed or want to supplement your existing practice, we ensure there is something to suit YOU! From Pilates for back pain, improving pelvic floor health to strengthening your arms each month, we had a specially ‘honed’ class, and if the class isn’t there, just tell us and we’ll film it! Find out more about LHP At Home here
Pilates At Home by Lauren Hilton is ideal for moving gently at home with period cramps or other PMS symptoms
Click here for your FREE Pilates for Period Pain video
We are a fully equipped Pilates studio located in the heart of Shrewsbury. We offer group mat and equipment classes, private tuition, pregnancy and post-natal Pilates. We are also experts in Pelvic health and can support you with diastasis, prolapse or ongoing pelvic pain.
