3. Gentle exercise
The idea of exercising before, during, and after your periods might not tickle your fancy, but believe me, it serves a great deal in relieving menstrual cramps. During exercise, your body releases endorphins whose interaction with the brain’s receptors helps reduce your perception of general pain including cramps. Exercising during cramping doesn’t necessarily have to involve weight lifting and other classes of heavy workout. Low-impact aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, tai chi, yoga or swimming can do the trick.
Besides inciting the release of endorphins, exercising also helps increase blood circulation. Exercises focusing on your pelvis, for instance, pelvic tilts and yoga have proven to be more effective in relieving menstrual cramps. A 2011 study established that the three yoga poses of Cobra, Cat, and Fish help reduce the “intensity and duration” of menstrual cramps significantly among young women between the ages of 18 and 22 years old.