Yoga can rescue you from PMSing

Are you worried about pre-menstrual syndrome (PMSing) symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramping, headache, mood swings, fatigue, irritability and depression? Doctor reveals how doing Yoga on a daily basis can help to manage period pain, have smooth periods and stay healthy during menses.

When one’s period is approaching, she will experience a wide range of symptoms due to hormonal imbalance - there can be appetite changes, food cravings, abdominal pain and cramping, tender breasts, headaches, mood swings, anger, irritability, tension, stress, anxiety and fatigue but do you know that all these symptoms can be managed with the help of Yoga? Exercising will be the last thing on your mind while you are on your period but exercising can be a good idea to alleviate stress, anxiety and pain during periods. If you are worried about premenstrual syndrome (PMSing) symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramping, headache, mood swings, fatigue, irritability and depression then, you need to know that yoga can come to your rescue. Yes, that’s right! According to health experts, Yoga on a daily basis can help to manage period pain, you will surely be able to have smooth periods and stay healthy during menses. 

Yoga offers a wide range of benefits and all poses are extremely safe and effective. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Pratima Thamke, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Kharghar's Motherhood Hospital revealed how doing Yoga can be better during menstruation:

The advantages of doing yoga during menstruation 

1. It eases cramping and aching: In case you encounter those worrisome cramps, yoga could be just what you need. Deep breaths during yoga help oxygen circulate through the body and get into your muscles. Since the main factor of menstrual cramping is a lack of oxygen in the uterine muscles, it can be a good way to deal with those painful cramps. Thus, you will be able to enjoy painful periods. You need to ask the yoga practitioner about the poses that can be best suitable for you. Also, do yoga under the guidance of an expert who can help you to understand the correct technique.

2. It can calm you down: It is a known fact that yoga is centered around meditation and focus. Deep breathing and meditation practices can overcome anxiety, stress, tension, frustration, and depression. One will be able to feel relaxed and perk- up the mood. It can instantly rejuvenate you.

3. It can help you with pain relief: There are many women who tend to experience body, leg, or back pain during menstruation. So, doing yoga on a daily basis reduces inflammation in the body, enhances circulation, and reduces pain perception. There will be no feeling of discomfort. Stretching during yoga can help one to get that much-needed relief from pain. So, do yoga and stay healthy during menses.

Yoga combats heart disease

Yoga is designed to promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being but apart from being beneficial for holistic health, it is also believed to improve heart health. Yoga served humanity in reducing suffering and even heart patients vouched for the fact that practising Yoga at home helped them to stay calm and cope with the pandemic. It is no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating biological as well as psychological effects and surviving the varied lockdowns took a severe toll on the mental health of people as they dealt with the death of loved ones to the coronavirus, loss of jobs, hit in the incomes and uncertainty of the future that resulted in feelings of anxiety and despair. In addition to this, lockdowns led to restrictions on several recreational activities like shopping, going to the movies, eating out, exercising outdoors or in gyms and social interactions with friends and family - activities which would otherwise help in alleviating stress. Practising Yoga has helped in attaining mental peace and positive attitude, which along with physical well-being played an important role in fighting the coronavirus.

However, did you know that apart from being beneficial for holistic health, Yoga is also believed to improve heart health and combats heart disease? In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Tilak Suvarna, Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Mumbai's Asian Heart Institute, shared, “Combating heart disease includes therapeutic lifestyle measures, medications and interventional procedures like angioplasty and bypass surgery, in equal measures. However, when we talk of lifestyle measures, it is only diet control and physical activity and weight reduction. We often neglect the fourth component which is managing mental stress.”

He explained, “It has been shown that anxiety and depression as well as psychosocial stressors such as work and marital stress are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. With chronic stress, the sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive, which can lead to inflammation of the heart arteries and increased blood pressure, resulting in an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes and this is where Yoga has an important role to play. Yoga may directly stimulate the vagus nerve, thus increasing the parasympathetic activity. At the same time, it pacifies the sympathetic nervous system and slows down the heart, while teaching the muscles and mind to relax. Yoga is also believed to improve heart health by increasing circulation and blood flow. In addition, practicing yoga can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels which are important risk factors for heart disease.”

Dr Tilak Suvarna added, “Yoga is also very good for our general well-being. Yoga is designed to promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Yoga means joining the mind with the body, in a harmonious development. It encourages the principle of ‘healthy mind in a healthy body’. It is an art and science of healthy living. Yoga and meditation are known to be beneficial for holistic health. Yoga is composed of: stretching exercises and physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama) and concentration techniques (meditation).”

He concluded, “Simple asana and pranayama can stimulate production of “happy hormones”. Pranayama or conscious breathing quickly lowers blood pressure and also helps in improving respiratory health. Surya Namaskar involves synchronizing breathing with body movement and has been shown to increase muscle strength and body endurance, improve spinal flexibility and improve immunity. Meditation is a great option to incorporate into your regular routine to reduce anxiety and stress. Thus, Yoga is not only good for our heart health but also gives positive energy to both, the body as well as the mind.”