Should you exercise during your period?

Dr Hilary Grover helps athletes ensure their bodies are performing at their best.

She’s worked closely with elite female athletes as a head doctor in the AFLW and as a touring doctor with the Australian women’s cricket team.

Dr Grover says conversations about periods and menstrual health have become much more normalised in sport in recent times.

“Being a team doctor in the women's space, [we make] sure that we create an environment where you can have those conversations,” she says.

“A new generation of doctors are coming through that are making sure it's really at the forefront of our discussion.”

Continuing to exercise at your normal level during your period is encouraged and listening to your symptoms can help optimise your exercise.

“There's no reason why you can't push yourself during this time. It's safe to.”

Here's everything you need to know to help you keep exercising throughout your entire cycle.

Phases of the menstrual cycle

If you have a period, your body is cycling through four key phases, which are driven by changes in the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. A normal cycle lasts between 21–35 days.

Here’s what’s happening in your body at each phase:

1. Menstruation (period): When you have your period, your uterus lining breaks down and flows out of your body as blood (as well as some mucus and cells). This often lasts between 3-7 days.

2. Follicular: The follicular phase starts on the first day of your period and lasts for around 13 to 14 days. Oestrogen levels rise, preparing the ovaries to release an egg.

3. Ovulation: During ovulation, a mature egg is released from an ovary. You experience a rise in luteinizing hormone. This usually happens around two weeks before your period and is the time when you are most likely to get pregnant.

4. Luteal: This is when the empty follicle becomes the corpus luteum and releases progesterone which thickens the uterine lining to prepare for a fertilized egg. If this does not occur, the corpus luteum breaks down, progesterone drops and the cycle starts again.

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What are the benefits of exercising during your period?

Dr Grover says exercise can help manage symptoms associated with your period.

“We know the biggest benefits from exercising during your period are you’re less likely to suffer from PMS, cramps, and mood disturbance,” she says.

“We don't know exactly why it impacts these things. We think it's to do with endorphins, the happy hormones, which may explain the benefits.”

She says that exercising at all stages of the cycle is beneficial.

“During your period, when you’re maybe not feeling as great as normal, if you suffer from symptoms, it's definitely good to get exercising and get outside."

“And exercising at any time is great for bone mineral density, your metabolic profile – so lowering cholesterol – sleep and cognitive benefits.”

Emerging evidence shows there might be specific changes to athletic performance in different cycle phases. For example, some research shows you might actually get small strength gains during your period – though Dr Grover cautions these studies are drawn from a very small sample size.

“The numbers in these studies are somewhere between nine to 20 people, so very low-powered, but it's encouraging to see that this may be a time that we get strength gains.”

Dr Grover says much more research is needed in the area – and that exercise consistency throughout your cycle is the key thing to focus on.

Another study examined Australian Olympic and Paralympic athletes to understand how they perceive their performance when they have their period.

“There's a cohort of people who feel like they perform best on their periods, and there's a cohort of people who feel best later in their cycle,” says Dr Grover.

Understanding how you feel personally throughout the month is the best way to adapt an exercise plan that works for your body.

What type of exercise is best during your period?

Dr Grover says there’s no definitive best kind of exercise to do during your period – it’s up to personal preference.

“Some people I know like to go and lift weights because they feel like they get a strength gain during their period, or some people like to do a bit more endurance.

“It’s just understanding what your symptoms are and what feels good for you. Moving, we know, is great, and it's safe to do movement during your period.”

If you’re dealing with symptoms and not feeling amazing, Dr Grover suggests starting small.  

“If you don't feel like a run or the gym, just start to get outside and get moving – even just a gentle walk.”

What is cycle syncing? Does it work?

You may have come across the trend of cycle syncing on TikTok – but is there any evidence backing it?

“Cycle syncing is the practice of adjusting your training, recovery and nutrition to align with your menstrual cycle,” says Dr Grover.

“It’s a bit of an in-vogue thing to do, but there's not great research behind it.”

She says we should be fuelling ourselves well and keeping moving throughout the entire month.

“Realistically, we should be taking nutrition and recovery seriously throughout all phases of our cycle, and not just emphasising it at different stages.”

Expert tips for exercising during your period

Ultimately, everybody is different, so stay mindful of what works best for you – but these pointers may help you to stay motivated to keep moving throughout the month.

Keep things consistent

Dr Grover says it’s critical to keep exercising regularly throughout your whole menstrual cycle – and to make sure you’re meeting minimal physical activity guidelines.

“Making sure you're doing at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity across a week is really important – and then also doing some strength work too, 2-3 times a week,” she suggests.

Manage pain

If you experience pain from your period, don’t rule out exercise.

“When people have symptoms in training, we make sure we're looking after them at the time."

"We're also empowering them to exercise, and to be confident that it's safe to exercise once we settle their pain or other symptoms down,” says Dr Grover.

You may want to check in with your GP if you have higher levels of pain during your period, to see what might be going on.

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Exercise with a friend

“Social support is really good in this setting,” says Dr Grover.

“[It helps] having someone to go for a walk with or booking in a Pilates class, just to encourage yourself to get moving."

“I know during [your period], sometimes it can feel very hard to get moving, so having a bit of social accountability can really help.”

Track your cycle

Knowing where you are in your cycle can be helpful to notice how different phases are impacting you.

Period tracker apps can be useful tools – though you can also keep track on your own.  

“If you sign up to an app or some kind of external data collection, knowing how they're using your data is very important,” says Dr Grover.

“So doing something as simple as keeping it in your own calendar is really great.”

Fuel yourself properly

It’s important to make sure you’re getting enough fuel for the exercise you do – at all phases of your cycle.

Under-fuelling can lead to RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), when there’s a mismatch in the energy you consume and the energy your body needs for movement, recovery and functions like hormone production.

Dr Grover often treats athletes experiencing this.

“We classically will get someone who comes with an injury, normally a bone stress injury, and they'll have had an increase in their training and potentially haven't fuelled enough,” she says.

“When you get deeper, [you find out] they haven't had a period for five or six months, which often indicates they haven't been fuelling themselves right.”

Keeping a close eye on your nutrition and hydration can ensure you’re giving your body what it needs.

Consider seeing your GP

If you’re struggling with symptoms associated with your period, it’s always a good idea to go and check in with a GP.

“Just because having very heavy periods and having very painful periods is common – it isn't necessarily normal,” says Dr Grover.

“I quite often get my athletes to a gynaecologist to make sure we're not missing things like endometriosis, adenomyosis, PMOS – because they can really impact people's physical and mental health as well.”

Dr Grover says it’s worth investigating both physical and emotional symptoms – so you can perform at your best.

“If you feel like you’re getting more stressed or have more emotional symptoms during your period, going and talking to someone such as your GP, I think, is really important.”

READ MORE: Explore more women's health articles

The Medibank Better Health Research Hub has partnered with and provided funding towards La Trobe University’s TRAIL W project. Find out more here: MBHRH Research Projects and Partnerships | Medibank and Trail W – HerSport.