5 Best Yoga Poses to Potentially Combat Menstrual Cramps

Does burrowing under a blanket with your favorite snack feel like your only defense against painful menstrual cramps and other disruptive PMS symptoms? If staying sedentary is your go-to form of relief from period cramps, you might want to reconsider your strategy.

It might sound out of the ordinary, but exploring alternative treatments such as acupuncture, acupressure and other relaxation techniques may actually help with symptom management.¹ Additionally, incorporating certain exercises into your routine can potentially provide some relief from menstrual cramps and the other aches and pains that are commonly associated with your period.

Exercise and physical activity release endorphins, which can not only boost your mood, but can also provide natural pain relief.² Endorphins interact with the receptors in the brain associated with pain relief and help reduce the perception of pain.³ This helps to reduce excess prostaglandins during menstruation, which are chemicals released during your period that cause muscle contractions, such as menstrual cramps.⁴ But there’s no need to run a half marathon in order to reap the benefits of endorphin-releasing exercise.

For women with severe menstrual cramps, high-impact activities like cardio workouts may be especially challenging and uncomfortable during menstruation. So, if jogging or cycling sound unappealing during your period, you may want to consider giving yoga a try. The startup cost is low, and it’s easy to do yoga within the comfort of your own home. And if you don’t have a yoga mat, you can use a blanket or towel instead.

Yoga has a multitude of physical benefits, including increasing strength, flexibility and reducing the risk of injury.⁵ However, it’s not uncommon for many people to practice yoga for emotional benefits, as well. There is growing research linking mind-and-body-connection exercises to improved mood and physical well-being,⁶ and yoga is commonly recommended as a safe pain-management tool.⁷

Here, we’ve outlined a short list of yoga poses you can try to get your period cramps under control.

Try These 5 Yoga Poses for Managing Period Cramps

1)    Child’s Pose

This yoga pose can help to stretch out the lower back and works to promote relaxation – it can also support blood circulation.⁸ Keep reading to learn how to do this simple stretch as well as others.

• Start at the back of your yoga mat. Kneel on the floor, lowering your hips to sit on top of your feet. Keep knees angled slightly outward and rest your stomach on your thighs. Extend your arms overhead, reaching your fingers toward the front of the mat. Rest your forehead on the mat. For proper form, extend the spine from the base of the tailbone to the top of the neck. Spend a few minutes in this pose, focusing on slowing the pace of your breathing.⁹
• Child’s pose is often used as a resting position between more active poses, but it’s beneficial all on its own. During your period, this pose can be especially helpful for relieving back pain, as it helps to elongate the spine and releases tension in the lower back. This yoga stretch also helps to apply gentle pressure on the internal organs, which theoretically could be beneficial to digestion.¹⁰

2)    Knees to Chest

This yoga pose has been known to help relieve gas and bloating,¹¹ which can be more common during your period.

• Start by lying down on your back, bend your legs and hug your knees into your chest and take in a nice inhale.
• This pose has similar benefits to the Child’s Pose, noted above, but it’s more active than a resting pose and you’re positioned on your back vs. your knees. Exhale while still hugging your knees to your chest and then gently rock your knees side to side to help maximize the benefits of the stretch. Try to do this for at least five breaths.¹²

3)    Seated Forward Fold

This stretch is designed to help open up your calves and hamstrings, working to relieve tight muscles – it can also help to open up your back.^{13, 14}

• Sit on the ground with your legs extended. Keeping a slight bend in your knees, lean forward, pulling your belly button toward your knees. Focus on keeping your spine straight and bending from the hips instead of from your back.
• As mentioned, a seated forward fold can help stretch the hamstrings and relieve pressure in the back and shoulders. The forward fold also stimulates circulation, helping to ease cramps and potentially supporting better digestion.¹⁵

4)    Supine Twist

This yoga pose can help to support mobility within your spine, as well as support a nice stretch through your back and glutes – it could potentially help with certain digestive discomforts as well.¹⁵ This stretch may also help to reduce gas and bloating often associated with menstrual periods.¹⁷

• Sit flat on the floor with your back straight and legs out in front of you. Bend your left knee and cross it over your right; place your left foot flat on the floor just outside of your right thigh. Twist your torso gently to the left and hold this position. Gently turn your head to look at your resting left hand. Hold for several breaths before repeating on the right side with the right leg.¹⁸

5)    Cat/Cow

This pose should help to reduce lower back pain, decrease tension in the body by helping to support rib expansion and improve spinal mobility.¹⁹

• Position yourself on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly below shoulders, knees directly below your hips, and a neutral spine. Slowly arch your back and lift your tailbone and forehead upward, letting your belly sink. Hold here for one breath before returning to a neutral spine. Reverse the motion by curling your tailbone toward the ground and pulling your chin to your chest; be sure to round out your back.²⁰

Yoga may be a great practice to incorporate into your daily routine not just during the week of your period. This is due to its potential benefits toward whole body health and wellness, so it may be worth giving this practice a try.

Resources

1. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/dysmenorrhea-painful-periods
2. https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-during-period#benefits
3. https://www.medicinenet.com/endorphins_natural_pain_and_stress_fighters/views.htm
4. https://www.webmd.com/women/features/exercise-eases-menstrual-cramps
5. https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/benefits-of-yoga/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/
7. https://www.health.harvard.edu/alternative-and-integrative-health/yoga-for-pain-relief
8. https://www.healthline.com/health/positions-to-help-period-cramps#best-positions
9. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/multimedia/childs-pose/vid-20453580
10. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000876.htm
11. https://www.health.com/fitness/beat-bloat-with-yoga
12. https://www.health.com/fitness/beat-bloat-with-yoga
13. https://www.verywellhealth.com/yoga-poses-for-your-period-3567221
14. https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/best-yoga-poses-pms-and-cramps
15. https://www.health.com/fitness/beat-bloat-with-yoga
16. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/yoga-for-endometriosis#risks
17. https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/movement-exercise/yoga-poses-to-relieve-gas-and-bloating
18. https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/movement-exercise/yoga-poses-to-relieve-gas-and-bloating
19. https://www.healthline.com/health/positions-to-help-period-cramps#sleeping-positions
20. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-nutrition/cat-cow-how-to#Instructions