If you have endometriosis, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. However, being active can be good for your overall health and well-being. Exercise can even help relieve some of the pain associated with endometriosis. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how exercise affects women who suffer from endometriosis and how it might impact symptoms such as bloating or cramping during periods (or throughout the month).
Endometriosis can cause a lot of pain
One of the most common symptoms of endometriosis, pain is also one of the most challenging to manage. The pain can be severe and debilitating, especially during and after exercise. Women who have endometriosis have an increased risk for developing interstitial cystitis (IC), which causes bladder symptoms like frequent urination and inflammation. Since these symptoms are similar to those experienced with IC, it’s important for women who suspect they have IC to talk with their doctors about testing for both conditions before starting any treatment plan or making lifestyle changes geared towards one condition or another — you don’t want to miss out on potential treatments that could make your life better! This could improve your work out possibilities a lot!
Sometimes exercise can make you feel worse
If you have endometriosis, it’s possible that exercising will exacerbate symptoms such as pain and fatigue.
Exercise also causes your body to produce more estrogen, which can also lead to more pain and other symptoms associated with endometriosis.
If you haven’t been exercising for a long time, your body may be slow to adapt to the changes in activity level that come with regular exercise. This can cause soreness, stiffness or weakness related to the increase in activity—and those aches and pains can make it harder for you to get motivated about working out again!
Finally, if you’re not eating properly before or after working out (or both), then this could also affect how well your body recovers from a workout session.
It can cause pain during and after exercise
The pain of endometriosis varies from person to person, but it can be felt during and after exercise. Some women find that their symptoms are more severe after exercising than others.
Some women also experience more pain during exercise due to the increased blood flow that occurs as a result of physical activity. This can cause the area where your endometrial lesions are located (like your ovaries) to swell, which may cause discomfort and even pain in some cases.
While everyone is different, there are some simple steps you can take to minimize your risk of experiencing this discomfort, we have a page about Endometriosis friendly exercises.
Exercise can help control symptoms of endometriosis
But exercise can also help control symptoms of endometriosis. Exercise helps to relieve the pain in the end, manage weight, manage stress and increase energy levels. It also improves mood and sleep quality. Exercise will not cure the condition, but it will help you feel better overall if you have endometriosis.
Low-impact exercises are best for endometriosis
Here are some low-impact exercises that you can do to help with your endometriosis:
- Walking. Walking is a great aerobic exercise for people with endometriosis because it doesn’t put pressure on the abdomen. To make sure you’re walking correctly, walk up stairs one at a time instead of two or three at once (this will help prevent injury).
- Swimming. If you’re able to swim without getting out of breath, this is another good choice for an aerobic exercise. Like walking, swimming won’t put pressure on your abdominal area while still providing good cardiovascular benefits and muscle strengthening opportunities! Swimming is a low-impact exercise. This means it can be done by those who are new to exercising or recovering from an injury, and it’s gentler on your joints than running or jogging. The water supports your body weight, making it easier to move through the water with less resistance. Swimming works every muscle in your body. While swimming laps may seem like just another cardio workout, this activity also tones muscles around your arms and chest, as well as strengthens shoulders and back muscles (which helps with posture). It also improves flexibility in the ankles and hips due to constant bending motions involved in kicking through the water. In addition to all of these benefits, swimming has been shown to help manage stress levels by releasing endorphins into our bodies when we’re active — which gives us that “runner’s high” feeling even after we’re finished! The only downside of swimming is, if you’re having massive bleeds, that it’s can be hard to relax with a tampon in when you’re not sure if it’s holding everything in, if ya know what we mean…
- Cycling. Cycling is another low impact option that allows for full range of motion while still being beneficial in terms of heart health and muscle strength/endurance building!
- Yoga can be a good workout for people with endometriosis. Yoga is a great workout for people with endometriosis. It can help you to relax and manage stress, which in turn will help to manage your pain. Yoga also helps with depression, anxiety and panic attacks, so it’s a good idea to try this form of exercise if you struggle with any of these conditions. Yoga is usually performed in a peaceful room with soft lighting and relaxing music. The poses are held for longer than usual stretches so that the muscles can be worked through their full range of movement. The breathing techniques used during yoga also improve your circulation and reduce inflammation which may make symptoms like cramps less severe if practiced regularly over time. Yoga has been shown to improve quality of life by reducing pain levels as well as improving moods such as anxiety or depression amongst those who practice regularly
- Pilates is another good exercise option. If you’re an athlete, a Pilates class is a great way to stay fit. If you’re not very active, it can also help with back pain and other symptoms of endometriosis. The exercises in Pilates can be modified for different fitness levels and abilities. For example:
- Beginners might start with mat work (floor exercises) that focus on breathing techniques that control the abdominal muscles and spine. As they progress, more advanced moves are added to increase strength and flexibility throughout the whole body—and these movements require coordination between your arms, legs, abs, back and chest muscles!
- Intermediate students may practice using equipment such as elastic bands or foam rollers which target specific areas like the hips or lower back while maintaining good posture throughout their entire body while performing each exercise correctly without losing proper form during any movement!
- Advanced classes might combine props like chairs or blocks with band resistance training which adds extra challenge by increasing intensity levels within each exercise routine so that participants can really push themselves past their comfort zone while still feeling safe enough to execute movements safely without sacrificing technique when pushing through limits physically speaking because nobody wants injuries after all…
Endorphins released during exercise might even act as a natural pain reliever
The endorphins released during exercise, just like sex, might even act as a natural pain reliever. Endorphins are also associated with other positive effects, including reduced anxiety, stress and depression; improved sleep quality; and even protection against disease.
Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine if you have any questions or concerns about your ability to exercise with endometriosis.
Before you begin exercising with endometriosis, it is important to talk to your doctor. Your doctor may recommend a physical therapist who can take a more in-depth look at your pain and mobility issues and provide personalized recommendations for exercises that would be best suited for you.
We hope this article has helped you to better understand how exercise can help with the symptoms of endometriosis. If you are struggling with pain in your lower abdomen or pelvic area, talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program or discussing other treatment options.