Can Yoga Help with Period Pain and Cramps? Best Poses To Do

Most women will experience menstrual cramps at some point in their lives, and for some, this pain is debilitating. While medications can help lessen the pain, there might be another solution: yoga.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s some evidence that suggests yoga can help lessen menstrual cramps. This is likely due to the combination of deep breathing and stretching that yoga provides. When you’re in pain, your breathing tends to be shallow, which can actually make the pain worse. By deep breathing and stretching, you can help ease the tension in your body and improve your overall comfort.

Can Yoga Help with Period Pain and Cramps? 

If you’re experiencing severe menstrual cramps, it’s always best to speak with your doctor to rule out any underlying health conditions. However, if your cramps are mild to moderate, yoga might be a great way to help lessen the pain.

There are a number of yoga poses that can help with menstrual cramps. Here are a few to try:

1. Child’s Pose: This is a great pose to start with. It’s a gentle pose that helps open up the hips and lower back.

2. Cat/cow Pose: This pose helps stretch the back and neck.

3. Pigeon Pose: This pose helps open up the hips and groin.

4. Extended triangle pose: This pose helps stretch the sides of the body.

5. Frog pose: This pose helps stretch the groin and inner thighs.

6. Camel Pose: This pose helps stretch the back and neck.

7. Warrior II pose: This pose helps strengthen the legs and opens up the hips.

8. Bridge Pose: This pose helps stretch the back and neck.

9. Seated forward fold: This pose helps stretch the hamstrings and back.

If you’re new to yoga, it’s important to start slow and practice caution. Yoga can be a great way to help lessen menstrual cramps, but it’s always important to speak with your doctor before starting any new routine.

Yoga benefits for women with the best poses to practice

There are many yoga benefits for women. Aside from the obvious physical benefits of increased flexibility, strength, and stamina, regular yoga practice can also provide emotional and psychological benefits. Women who practice yoga regularly often report feeling calmer and more centered, less reactive, and more able to cope with stress.

In addition to the general benefits of yoga, certain poses are specifically beneficial for women. For example, Triangle Pose stretches and strengthens the sides of the body and the hip flexors, which can be tight in women. standing poses such as Warrior I and II work the muscles of the legs and hips, which can also be tight in women. Triangle Pose and standing poses also help to improve balance, which can be a challenge for many women.

Poses that help to open the chest and improve breath capacities, such as Camel Pose and Fish Pose, can be beneficial for women who suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma. Forward bends such as Child's Pose and seated poses such as Lotus Pose can be helpful for women who experience menstrual cramps or other types of pelvic pain.

Ultimately, the key to getting the most out of yoga is to find a style of yoga that suits your individual needs and preferences and to practice regularly. Withdrawal from stress, anxiety, negative thinking, and a rise in patience, self-acceptance, and pleasure are some bonuses that come with a women’s yoga lifestyle.

Conclusion

Overall, there is some evidence that yoga may be beneficial for relieving menstrual cramps. However, more research is needed to draw a firm conclusion. If you are experiencing menstrual cramps, you may want to try yoga to see if it helps. If it does, great! If it doesn’t, you can always explore other options.

Learn more about yoga poses and period cramps here: https://www.purepathyoga.com/posts/what-yoga-poses-are-good-for-menstrual-cramps