Men have been warned, this post pertains to women! Although if you are smart, you might continue reading and gain some very useful insight that might save your life one day...
In light of some recent requests and speaking with women in my life, I have come to the conclusion that many sources of information regarding health and fitness ignore a topic that should be covered. Maybe it is due to more men writing fitness articles than women, but I am going to go out on that limb and talk about all kinds of controversial topics so here we go. Periods, menstrual cycles, mother nature, that "time of the month," or whatever you want to call it. Let's just get it out in the open. We (women) all have them, at least most of us do. The reason I bring it up is that often it affects workouts with female clients and I know there are those of you out there who just can't workout for 3-5 days every month.
First, make every effort you can to continue to get moving and get your workouts in. The key here is increasing BLOODFLOW. Which, now that I type it, may seem counterproductive but let me explain. When you lay on the couch in the fetal position because you feel like your insides are being ripped out of your body, all you can feel is the pain. If you can bring yourself to take the dog for a walk, your internal bloodflow will begin to redirect to working muscles, and also your uterus. This sets off a cascade of effects resulting in released "good feeling" endorphins, reduced cramps, and elevated mood. If your mood and fatigue improve, then so will everyone else's in your life..
I do realize that some of you girls reading this may think there is no way you can exercise. The pain is just too intense. For this, I am going to suggest a different remedy. There does exist a solution to the inconvenience of a heavy menstrual flow and/or cramping. This remedy is not coming from a doctor and I recommend anyone to consult their physician before trying any new vitamins or supplements. In other words, I am just sharing what works for me!
As most of you know, I do take a number of vitamins daily to improve my health and workouts, and supplement my diet. However, on the first day of the month that I feel symptoms start, I start a specific vitamin cocktail that saves my butt and allows me to keep rocking my workouts. I take this one time a day for the duration of the cycle (usually 4-6 days).
-------******** I AM NOT A DOCTOR! ******** ---------
WOMEN'S MONTHLY COCKTAIL:
200 IU Vitamin E
8000 IU Vitamin A
50 mg Zinc
18 mg Iron (note: I always take 18 mg of iron daily but I take an additional one with the cocktail)
-------******** THIS IS NOT A PRESCRIPTION! *******-----------
-------******** INSERT OTHER DISCLAIMER HERE!******------
Now, I am going to give credit where credit is due. My client Angel gave me the tip of taking these vitamins TOGETHER. I was taking zinc, iron, and E but not together and vitamin A only occasionally. Please, please, please be careful with vitamin A as it is very toxic when taken for a long duration. Vitamin E and A are both fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the are not excreted through water-soluble means such as urine and can build up in the body quickly. So as soon as you are done with your monthly cycle, I recommend you go back to your regularly scheduled vitamins. I also take other vitamins and I continue with those like normal.
All things considered, I encourage you to give a shot and see if it helps you out. The more excuses you can eliminate for getting your workouts in the better! Remember, one simple YES could change your life forever..
For more info on VITAMINS:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.html
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