{"id":21605,"date":"2023-06-06T08:38:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T06:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=21605"},"modified":"2023-06-06T08:38:42","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T06:38:42","slug":"twerking-and-pms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/twerking-and-pms\/","title":{"rendered":"PMS Got You Down? Try Twerking!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who doesn\u2019t love a good dance sesh from time to time? Whether you\u2019re enjoying a night out with your friends or having a solo dance party as you unwind from work \u2013 dancing is universal and it makes you feel better about life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dancing is a great way to get a little workout in, express yourself creatively, and boost your mood, but it might also come with some unexpected benefits \u2013 PMS relief.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Dreaded PMS<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After an egg is released during <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-elusive-world-of-ovulation\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ovulation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, your body starts preparing itself for a possible pregnancy. This is called the luteal phase and takes place from approximately days 15-28 of your cycle, ending with the start of your period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The luteal phase is also when PMS takes place. Although not everyone experiences PMS, up to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6964059\/#:~:text=Altogether%20results%20show%2C%20that%20up,(PMDD)%20%5B10%5D.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">90%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of people who menstruate have had premenstrual symptoms at some point in their reproductive life, with about 20-40% of them experiencing PMS. A smaller percentage, 2-8%, experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/pms-vs-pmdd\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PMDD<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with more severe symptoms like anger, depressed mood, feeling out of control or overwhelmed, and insomnia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the most common symptoms of PMS include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spotting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cramping<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irritability or low mood<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breast tenderness<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019re probably well aware of these symptoms and may have accepted that you\u2019re at the mercy of your hormones. But that\u2019s far from the truth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are quite a few steps that you can take to help manage symptoms of PMS like managing your diet, getting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/acupuncture\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">acupuncture<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and regular physical activity. You can also have some fun with your reproductive health care by you guessed it \u2013 twerking.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Is Twerking The Cure to PMS?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First things first, no twerking is certainly not a cure for PMS. Everyone\u2019s reproductive health needs are different, and what works for one person may not work for another. That being said, twerking can offer some really incredible benefits when it comes to PMS.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twerking is not a new trend. Cultures from all over the world have done twerking-like dances for generations. Traditional dances from Africa, Tahiti, India, and many other regions have traditional dances that isolate the hips and pelvis, much like twerking \u2013 and were often performed by women. While there are numerous cultural-societal reasons that women did these dances, they also offered physical benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Dancing and PMS Relief<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of now, there are no definitive studies specifically observing the relationship between twerking and PMS, but we\u2019re rooting for you science. That being said, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8345691\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">researchers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been able to find significant improvements in symptoms of PMS with regular dancing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One study focused on the effects of running vs dancing tango and how that affected pre-period symptoms. Researchers found a reduction in symptoms of PMS and symptoms during their period for the tango dancing group. They also established a connection between dancing and the duration of PMD (premenstrual disorder) symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Dancing Regulates Hormones<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the main factors behind PMS is hormones. At the start of the luteal phase, progesterone levels start to increase to help prepare the body for a potential pregnancy. Levels decrease again later in the luteal phase, especially right before menstruation. This drop is suspected to be one of the main culprits behind uncomfortable PMS symptoms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not just progesterone that\u2019s to blame, estrogen levels also decrease during the luteal phase, contributing to PMS. Aerobic exercise, like say twerking, increases concentrations of these hormones, potentially helping to decrease symptoms of PMS.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>It Relaxes The Body<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s try something together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stand up if you can, and take a moment to close your eyes and notice any tension in your pelvis and\/or lower back. Now set a timer on your phone for 30 seconds and start to shake your hips rhythmically or go ahead and twerk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the timer is done, take another few seconds to see if any of that tension has lifted. Notice a difference?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twerking can help release tension in the hips and pelvis that can contribute to pelvic pain and discomfort that you experience before your period. Researchers hypothesize that because dance is \u201csuch a calm and \u2018undemanding\u2019 form of exercise, affecting the muscles of the pelvic and abdominal area, relaxes and oxygenates them so significantly that it is a better form of relieving PMD symptoms than running\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dancing is more accessible than a lot of other forms of exercise, but you do what works for you. Any form of regular physical activity may give you a significant reduction in pain in the lower back and abdomen, which can be even worse during PMS.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Twerking Is Fun!<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides some awesome physiological benefits, when it comes down to it, twerking is fun. You get to take a minute, or a half hour, or however long you want to blast your favorite tunes, release some energy, feel present in your body, and enjoy the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The thought of exercise before your period can be daunting, and you might do better with some gentle movement that you actually enjoy. PMS can make you feel low, grouchy, and just not like \u201cyourself\u201d, having fun can help break up some of that and help you feel better overall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twerking by yourself is great, twerking with a buddy is even better. Having a dance session with your friends gives you the added benefit of socializing. Being social helps to reduce stress levels and improve your mood. Although there\u2019s a lot more to the picture, anxiety and stress are related to higher levels of menstrual pain and PMS.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Time to Shake That Booty<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If twerking isn\u2019t your thing, no worries. Any way you move and groove can potentially help your PMS symptoms. Looking for some other ways to help improve your pre-period funk? We\u2019ve got tips on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/at-home-remedies-to-soothe-period-bloating\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">managing bloat<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, dealing with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/do-you-suffer-from-insomnia-during-pms-here-are-possible-reasons-why\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PMS insomnia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and navigating <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/menstrual-migraines-why-and-what-to-do\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hormonal migraines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you\u2019re ready for a break from all that research, be sure to pump up the jams and get your booty shaking.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who doesn\u2019t love a good dance sesh from time to time? Whether you\u2019re enjoying a night out with your friends or having a solo dance party as you unwind from&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":21536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[47,366],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>PMS Got You Down? 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