Study reveals ideal exercise routine for dysmenorrhea relief :- Medznat
EN | RU
EN | RU

Help Support

By clicking the "Submit" button, you accept the terms of the User Agreement, including those related to the processing of your personal data. More about data processing in the Policy.
Back

Aerobic exercise, especially pilates, shown to effectively relieve menstrual pain

Primary dysmenorrhea Primary dysmenorrhea
Primary dysmenorrhea Primary dysmenorrhea

What's new?

Aerobic exercise reduces degree and duration of pain in adolescents and young women suffering from primary dysmenorrhea. Pilates, low-intensity workouts lasting 46-60 minutes, done twice a week for 2 menstrual cycles, are especially effective in alleviating symptoms.

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis has found compelling evidence that aerobic exercise, particularly pilates and low-intensity workouts, markedly reduces pain intensity and duration associated with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) in adolescents and young women. The study analyzed data from 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comprising 918 nonathlete women aged 15 to 43, with an average age of approximately 21 years.

Researchers systematically reviewed studies from databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, PsycNET, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, and other complementary medicine sources. Interventions included aerobic exercise programs that spanned at least one menstrual cycle, with pain intensity and duration as the primary outcomes.

The findings showed that aerobic exercise remarkably reduced menstrual pain intensity (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -1.728) and pain duration (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -12.53 hours). However, both outcomes showed high heterogeneity, prompting subgroup analyses based on exercise type, intensity, session length, frequency, and intervention duration. Subgroup results revealed that Pilates produced the greatest reduction in pain degree (SMD = -3.17), followed by low-intensity aerobic exercises (SMD = -1.64).

The most effective session duration ranged between 31 to 45 minutes (SMD = -3.05), with the optimal frequency being no more than 2 sessions per week (SMD = -2.24). Additionally, interventions lasting 2 menstrual cycles yielded the highest benefit (SMD = -2.21). Despite the promising results, the researchers noted that the current evidence is of moderate quality, based on the GRADE assessment.

They emphasize the need for more rigorous, large-scale RCTs—particularly involving adolescent participants—to develop age-appropriate and individualized aerobic exercise recommendations for tackling PD. These findings underscore the potential of non-pharmacological approaches, such as structured aerobic exercise, to serve as valuable interventions for menstrual pain in young populations.

Source:

Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica

Article:

Aerobic exercise to alleviate primary dysmenorrhea in adolescents and young women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Authors:

Jingjie Cai et al.

Comments (0)

You want to delete this comment? Please mention comment Invalid Text Content Text Content cannot me more than 1000 Something Went Wrong Cancel Confirm Confirm Delete Hide Replies View Replies View Replies en
Try: