Is It Okay to Work Out While Using Menstrual Cup

You may be one of those athletic women, or you may be one of those that go for fitness for various reasons. The most important thing is you fared well during your period. And you can’t have it disrupt your training or exercises whenever you have one.

So, what is it that you should look for with a menstrual hygiene product? Many women answer that question through switching to menstrual cups. But, how does a menstrual cup like the Daisy Menstrual Cup, help you with your rigorous activities during your period?

If you want to know, then you might as well read the whole article to learn if the menstrual cup does help you with workouts and other physical activities that you do in a daily routine.

Overview of the Menstrual Cup

A menstrual cup is described as a small, flexible, funnel-like shaped cup that is made from rubber or medical-grade silicon. Healthcare professionals see the menstrual cup as a safe product due to its material that is considered hypoallergenic and the same from bacterial infection.

In addition to the menstrual cup’s necessary overall information, the said item can last up to 10 years maximum if it is properly cleaned and stored. Not to mention, it can also hold up to 30ml (1 ounce) of menstrual blood, unlike sanitary pads or tampons that can only hold up to 5ml volume of blood, and must be changed every 3 to 4 hours in a day.

How Does Menstruation Affect an Athlete’s Performance?

Workout and an athlete’s training are both comparables when it comes to rigorous physical activities. It is the reason why you need to know how menstruation affects women as an athlete.

Primarily, the menstruation cycle of women affects one’s performance due to the changes in hormones. There is a recent study wherein it was indicated that there is about 75 percent of women athletes who experiences symptoms of menstruation negatively. The said symptoms include back pain, headaches, bloating, and commonly, cramps.

With this said, given that women need to battle with nature’s course, it is undeniable that there are also practical issues regarding the changing of tampons or sanitary pads.

Take, for example, Kiran Gandhi’s story, a twenty-six-year-old who runs in marathons. For her, running marathon-length distances during her period is a challenge. The thought of having an uncomfortable feeling down there due to the tampon or pad makes it even more challenging for her since it might leak. Not only that, training or workouts get disrupted since one needs to change tampons or sanitary pads every 3 to 4 hours.

Can a Menstrual Cup Help Athletes or Workout Enthusiasts?

The advantages of using a menstrual cup instead of either sanitary pads or tampons are already discussed above. However, to understand all the information well, let us break it down for you, as to how menstrual cup helps athletes or workout enthusiasts during that time of the month.

Offers 12-hours Leak-free Protection.

Remember that menstrual cups can hold up to 30ml depending on the menstrual cup that you chose. On average, menstrual blood flow amounts to 10 to 35ml blood loss per period. With this said, if you are using tampons or pads, then it’s evident that you need to change now and then.

Infrequent Visits to Comfort Room.

Exercises and training will inevitably take time. We are talking about hours of physical activity here, especially for athletes, because every minute counts for them. However, if your frequent visits to the comfort room take place during your period, it will disrupt your training routine.

Thus, the menstrual cup saves the day with its ability to hold more volume of your menstrual blood compared to other menstrual hygiene products. With this said, you do not need to go to the restroom every now and then just to change pads or tampons.

You Won’t Feel a Thing.

The most primary concern when women wear menstrual hygiene products during exercises or training is that sanitary pads or tampons tend to move out of place whenever one is actively moving around.

With menstrual cups, you do not need to worry about your sanitary pad being misplaced and lead to blood leaking out of your pants. On the other hand, tampons might be inserted inside your vagina, but it still gives an uncomfortable feeling for women.

It is the reason why most women switch to menstrual cups. If using pads and tampons is uncomfortable, menstrual cups beg to differ. The one thing that you would know if a menstrual cup fits you well and is appropriately placed is when you do not feel anything at all. You feel comfortable wearing it as if you are wearing nothing at all.

Takeaway

You can say that the discussed information above is the crash course 101 of the menstrual cup in terms of its use for athletic women. So, if you are one of those women who pave the way to the higher ground of sports, then the information that you read should be of help to you.

Remember that to excel and do your best even during red days, having comfortable support like a menstrual cup is a must!