7 Ways Exercise Can Change Your Period

Spotting, mood swings and just feeling "blah" ... getting your period is not exactly a party. And menstrual symptoms can affect your workouts — after all, it can be tough to train when you have cramps. But is the reverse also true: Does exercise affect your period, too?

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, common physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) include:

• Breast tenderness
• Bloating
• Weight gain
• Headache
• Swelling of the hands and feet
• Fatigue
• Skin problems
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Mood changes like irritability, anxiety, depression and social withdrawal
• Poor concentration
• Insomnia
• Changes in sexual desire

Despite these symptoms, doctors agree that it's perfectly OK to work out if you want to. In fact, it's encouraged — exercise is one way to reduce PMS symptoms, according to the Office on Women's Health.

But sometimes, working out can change your period. Here are the ways exercise can affect your period, for better and for worse.

Indeed, working out does affect your period. But does exercise make your period lighter? The short answer is yes.

Here's why exercise can make your period lighter: Having obesity is linked to heavier periods, per May 2021 research in the ‌Journal of Endocrinology‌. On the flip side, working out regularly may cause your body fat mass to decrease, which may result in a lighter period flow.

Those training for extreme sporting events like marathons may also notice their periods getting lighter due to the stress generated from intense exercise, which can lighten your period, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Another effect of exercise on periods is that working out can make your period shorter. For some, this connection between your menstrual cycle and exercise may be temporary as your body adjusts to a new workout routine, according to the Office on Women's Health.

For others, though, a period cut short can be a sign of a group of illnesses called the female athlete triad, which is a disorder characterized by extreme dieting and exercise. Per the AAOS, the triad encompasses three conditions:

• Disordered eating
• Menstrual dysfunction, which can make your period go away faster
• Low bone mineral density

This is a serious condition that requires treatment, so if you notice symptoms, visit your doctor right away.

Indeed, exercise does delay periods in certain situations.

For one, exercise can make your period late due to the female athlete triad. The condition can occur due to a combination of intense dieting and working out, and can make your period late because it causes irregular menstruation, per the AAOS.

How long exercise can delay your period depends on your body and activity level. But if disordered eating and extreme exercise does make your period late, it's time to see your doctor to get treatment before you develop more lasting health complications, according to the AAOS.

A missed period isn't always a huge red flag, but it's one to monitor for sure. Not only can a missed cycle mean pregnancy or other underlying health conditions, but per the American Council on Exercise, it may be a sign of overtraining as well — in other words, too much exercising can stop your period.

How much exercise causes a missed period can vary from person to person. For instance, if you just started exercising and missed your period, that may be because your body is temporarily adapting to the added stress of physical activity, according to the AAOS.

And remember: Exercise can delay your period, so if you just started working out, your period may only be late, not gone entirely.

But if you notice your flow is gone for a few months, it's time to see a doctor to determine if you have an underlying issue, according to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

For some, an exercise-delayed period can be a sign of the female athlete triad: Individuals who exercise intensely and adjust their eating habits in a way that leads to extreme weight loss may end up losing their periods, per the AAOS. This occurs when estrogen levels drop to an extent that menstruation is no longer triggered, resulting in missed periods from working out too much.

Not only can this extreme form of working out stop your period, but the decrease in estrogen combined with not eating enough calories or nutrients can also prevent your bones from getting the fuel they need to remain functional and strong, per the AAOS. So while you may be exercising this hard to build strength, it can actually weaken your bones and put you at risk for injury or diseases like osteoporosis.

Good news: Exercise does affect your period in positive ways. For instance, regular activity has been linked to fewer painful cramps, per the Office on Women's Health.

These other lifestyle habits can likewise help ease painful periods:

• Eat nutritious foods
• Avoid caffeine and foods with added salt or sugar
• Manage stress
• Get enough sleep
• Quit smoking

Cramps aren't the only symptom that benefit from working out on your period. So what else does exercise do to your period?

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, regular cardio can have the following effects:

• Reduces overall levels of tension
• Elevates and stabilizes mood
• Improves sleep
• Improves self-esteem

That's because physical activity releases endorphins, which are chemicals in your brain that can help you feel good. And those same hormones may help counteract some period symptoms like depression, difficulty concentrating and fatigue, per the Office on Women's Health.

Perhaps you started a new fitness routine and noticed that you're bleeding out of turn. However, exercise does not make your period start early.

This is actually breakthrough bleeding, which can occur after exercising if you've recently switched up your regimen, per the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

For instance, if you went from not exercising at all to suddenly doing an intense workout every day, spotting may happen even when you're not on your period.