What Exercises Should You Avoid During Your Period?

What NOT to do during that time of the month

The question: I have my period. Are there any exercises I shouldn’t do?

The expert: Greg Justice, certified personal trainer, exercise physiologist, and author of Mind Your Own Fitness

The answer: Yes. Generally speaking, working out during your period is a good thing, because exercise helps relieve period-related annoyingness like anxiety, fatigue, and headaches. But there’s one outlier: yoga.

Now, don’t get us wrong—most of the moves in yoga are totally fine to do when you have your period. It’s the ones where you basically stand on your head that are the issue. “These moves fall under the umbrella term ‘inverted poses,’” Justice explains. Specifically, the three problem children are shoulder stands, headstands, and the plough pose.

Why are these moves a no-no when you’ve got the flow? “It all comes down to a scientific theory called vascular congestion in the uterus, which results in excessive menstrual flow,” Justice explains (in perhaps the most politically-correct period-related statement known to mankind). A slightly more graphic version? Standing on your head engorges your blood vessels in your uterus, which makes you bleed more. Thus, more cramps. #RealTalk.

Justice recommends doing other kinds of exercises during your period for sure, and when it comes to yoga, try to keep your head off the ground. Which should be pretty easy, considering you probably feel like it’s in the clouds already, anyway.

More from Women’s Health:
5 Perks of Doing Inverted Yoga Poses
9 Ways to Get Relief from PMS
How Your Period Can Turbocharge Your Workout

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