Sports and Your Period

Having a period is a normal and healthy part of being a woman. There’s no reason why having your period should keep you from doing the things you love. You can continue to do your daily activities like playing sports, exercising, swimming, riding a bike, or just plain having fun. By wearing a pad or a tampon, you can stop worrying about getting your clothes stained.

Exercise does not affect the amount of flow or length of your period. It actually helps in relieving menstrual cramps. But you should be cautious of very intense physical activity, like training to run a marathon, which can in turn cause amenorrhea or the absence of menstrual periods.

Swimming during your period is also possible by the use of tampons since the flow is absorbed internally. It is always good practice to change your tampon before and after swimming to avoid possible risks of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), an extremely rare but potentially serious illness caused by tampons. It is not recommended to wear pads during swimming as it will only become wet and will not absorb menstrual flow.

TSS is a type of blood poisoning that will make you feel severely ill very quickly. Its symptoms include high fever that appears suddenly, sometimes accompanied by chills, confusion, seizures, headaches, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fainting of feeling faint, a rash that appears like a sunburn, muscle aches, low blood pressure (or hypotension), and organ failure (gastrointestinal, muscular, blood system, liver, kidneys, mucous membrane, and nervous system).

If you see these symptoms, immediately consult with your health care provider. TSS can be quite fatal.

Likewise, it is always important to maintain good hygiene during your period to keep yourself feeling fresh and clean, and also to avoid infections. Aside from changing pads or tampons regularly, taking a hot bath or shower should be fine. It actually helps ease cramps and give an overall feel of cleanliness and relaxation.

Use only tampons with the lowest possible absorbency suitable for period flow, and alternate them with pads during your periods. Never insert more than one tampon at a time and never use them if there are skin infections near the genitals.

Always remember to wash your hands before and after inserting a tampon or changing your pads.

Water won’t stop menstrual flow. Washing your hair regularly, and during periods, will help you look and feel good.