Endometriosis shouldn’t stop you from being active, but it is wise to be wary of workouts that could potentially worsen symptoms such as pelvic pain. Speak to your physician about the best exercises for you before slowly transitioning towards creating an exercise regime you feel is comfortable and regular.
Exercise can boost the production of feel-good endorphins, reduce inflammation and strengthen cardiovascular health and strength. Furthermore, regular physical activity may help decrease estrogen secretion thereby decreasing pain associated with endometriosis.
High-Intensity Workouts
When dealing with pelvic pain, heavy periods and other endometriosis symptoms, exercise may seem like the last thing on your list of priorities. But exercise has been proven to alleviate these symptoms and help individuals feel better physically and psychologically.
One reason is that exercise causes your body to produce natural opioid-like substances called endorphins that act as natural pain relievers, while estrogen hormone can increase growth of endometriosis lesions in pelvic and abdominal areas. Exercise also lowers estrogen levels which contributes to endometriosis lesions forming on women’s reproductive organs.
If you need help incorporating exercise into your daily routine, consult a health care provider or meet with a fitness therapist experienced with endometriosis patients to develop an exercise program tailored specifically to their needs. They can create an exercise regimen designed to offer all of its benefits without exacerbating symptoms associated with endometriosis.
Low-impact aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming and yoga are excellent choices for people living with endometriosis; they raise your heart rate without overstretching joints in your hips, back and legs. Not only are these activities great cardiovascular workouts; they can also boost your mood by reconnecting you to breathing deeply and offering moments of mindfulness.
Kegel exercises have become fashionable thanks to “lifestyle gurus” like Gwyneth Paltrow, but many women with endometriosis don’t find them helpful as they involve strengthening and contracting pelvic floor muscles, which may actually increase pain and discomfort. Instead, try relaxing these same pelvic floor muscles through lengthening stretches like gluteal stretch and hip flexor stretch for greater relief.
Avoid high-intensity interval training, which involves switching between short bursts of intense activity and less strenuous ones, to avoid heart rate spikes that lead to pain and fatigue. Avoid engaging in frequent high-intensity workouts that could cause muscle soreness and fatigue, including the use of cardio.
Running
Women living with endometriosis experience various symptoms that can be worsened by exercise. Therefore, it’s crucial that they find an activity they enjoy doing and maintain it – this way, you’ll reap its mood-boosting benefits without adding more discomfort to their day.
However, it’s essential to listen to what your body needs; for example if you are experiencing menstrual cycle pain it would likely be wiser to choose lower intensity exercises such as walking or swimming that won’t aggravate the discomfort.
If you are uncertain what form of exercise would best benefit your condition and symptoms, speak with your physician or gynecologist. They’ll be able to suggest exercises which will ease them while providing safe workout options that suit you best.
Though scientific evidence of how exercise affects endometriosis pain remains limited, most experts agree it remains beneficial to engage in regular physical activity. Exercise reduces inflammation, increases antioxidants levels and decreases estrogen levels – all which may help ease symptoms associated with endometriosis.
Exercise to stretch the abdominal and pelvic muscle groups can also help with endometriosis symptoms such as bloating, constipation and bowel pain that is commonplace.
Yoga or Pilates may help relieve tightened muscles. According to Wise, one study of women living with endometriosis showed that those who engaged in Hatha-style yoga reported improved quality of life and pain relief.
Exercise into your routine. More research must be completed to ascertain what level of physical activity will provide the greatest health benefits to endometriosis patients; until then, make sure you find a workout that suits both your needs and interests so as to stick with it longer and reap all its health advantages.
Symptoms of Endometriosis Are You Suffering Painfully? Contact Dr. Hyler & Associates Today For Help If you are living with painful endometriosis symptoms, Dr. Hyler & Associates have over two decades of experience diagnosing and treating endometriosis with effective treatments and testing methods – such as laparoscopic surgery.
Yoga
Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition that can cause pelvic pain and inflammation during menstruation, with side effects also impacting other areas of the body and even contributing to infertility, according to World Health Organization data. Yoga practice can help mitigate many of its unpleasant symptoms – even those related to infertility!
Yoga’s pain-relieving effects are well documented, yet certain styles of this exercise may actually increase discomfort for those living with endometriosis. Vigorous styles like Ashtanga or Power yoga may generate too much heat in the abdomen and pelvic region; thus quieter styles like Yin or Restorative Yoga would likely provide better relief.
If you’re new to yoga, take it slow and consult your physician prior to beginning any new routines. For instance, after abdominal surgery it may be prudent to wait for medical clearance for such activities as healthline indicates. Furthermore, if pelvic area discomfort arises use yoga props like rolled blankets/towels under knees/butt to provide extra support in these sensitive spots of the body – for instance you could slide one between knees or place blocks under butts etc… to ease pressure off these parts.
As long as you’re under the care of a physician, yoga can be an invaluable way to enhance your quality of life and reduce discomfort caused by endometriosis. Not only does this exercise provide physical benefits; yoga also has emotional advantages that help people living with chronic conditions like endometriosis feel less isolated.
Meredith Koloski of Little Silver, New Jersey established endOM Yoga by appointment after her diagnosis with endometriosis and subsequent surgery in 2012. Her goal is to “help women living with chronic illness become less overwhelmed, more empowered advocates for their own well-being”. If you have questions regarding pose safety or modifications for comfort please reach out directly or consult an instructor trained in yoga.
Weightlifting
Endometriosis is a gynecological condition in which the inner lining of your uterus grows outside its uterine cavity and causes pain in your pelvic and abdominal region. This tissue is hormone sensitive, and may become inflamed during your menstrual cycle, often becoming painful as well as spreading to other organs or structures like your ovaries, the peritoneum (lining of abdomen and pelvis), or even diaphragm which plays an essential role in breathing.
Exercise can provide relief for many with endometriosis and help manage its symptoms, providing an avenue of management and relief from its discomfort. Exercise may reduce inflammation, increase antioxidants and lower estrogen secretion which all can ease endometriosis pain relief; it’s important to know which exercises are safe while others could worsen symptoms.
Women suffering from endometriosis should opt for low-intensity exercises like walking or yoga as these don’t place as much strain on the muscles and tissues in your pelvic and abdominal region. High intensity workouts, like running or crunches can strain stomach, pelvic and back muscles and lead to increased discomfort from endometriosis symptoms.
Exercise can not only relieve physical discomfort, but it can also boost your mood and help you sleep better. Furthermore, exercise releases feel-good chemicals known as endorphins which make exercise less likely to trigger depression, anxiety or stress in our minds.
Whenever you feel ready to begin exercising, make sure to consult with your physician first. They can create an individual exercise program tailored specifically for you as well as recommend trainers/coaches who specialize in working with people suffering from endometriosis.
Finding an endometriosis-specific workout requires trialing different options until you find one that feels comfortable and helps ease symptoms. If you need assistance developing an exercise routine that’s safe and effective, seek advice from a gynecologist; they may suggest an exercise program designed not to aggravate endometriosis symptoms while providing strength training options that won’t aggravate them further. They could also refer you to pelvic floor physiotherapists or pain clinics to assist you in developing strategies to manage endometriosis pain effectively.
