Practical Tips for PMS + A Special Routine

Many women live with debilitating cramps, diminished energy and moodiness that affects their relationships in the days before and during their periods. You can blame Eve or pollution or modern stress levels, but PLEASE don’t just lay there when you can minimize most of the major discomforts of menstruation. Here at Fit2B Studio, we have a specialized “PMS Routine” that our members rave about, and I’d also like to highlight a few other easy things you can do!

Even though the world jokes about “that time of the month” and has crass terms for it, no woman really wants to act witchy-with-a-B for a week out of every month. We don’t enjoy feeling awful and out of sorts, but it’s hard to avoid.

During our cycles, our uterine muscles work HARD to clean us out and prepare us for a possible pregnancy each subsequent month. Hard working muscles get crampy if they aren’t being fueled and nurtured properly, but I know all about muscles. You can start doing these things this month, and I believe you will see an improvement:

Hydration

Drinking enough water improves circulation, helps remove toxins, and prevents cramps. If you don’t get enough water, you aren’t as well lubricated, and you don’t pee and poop enough. If you’re feeling sluggish, have a headache, or your cramps feel worse than usual, check your water intake. H2O also supplies you with oxygen which is needed for proper muscle flexion. Your uterus is a muscle!

Breathing 

Breathing is another way we consume the amount of oxygen we need for adequate energy. Taking a good deep inhale with literally breathe energy into your belly’s tight places, but what about the exhale? Breathing out is one more way our body eliminates the byproducts of energy metabolism. If you’re a shallow chest breather, and you’re not practicing belly “core” breathing like I teach in our workouts here on Fit2B then you’re going to have more tension in your core which means more tension around your uterus.

How to take a belly breath or “core breath”

Step 1: Stand or sit with elongated posture and notice your breath.

Step 2: Place your hands on the sides of your waist so that your thumbs and first fingers are feeling the sides of your ribs, and the rest of your fingers have their tips on your abs.

Step 3: Keep your chest and shoulders relaxed while you inhale and feel your ribs and belly gently expand against your hands. Visualize an umbrella opening all the way around.

Step 4: Exhale and feel how your belly and ribs narrow again as your breath leaves you. Visualize an umbrella closing. Feel your navel and pelvic floor move inward and upward gently.

Step 5: Practice this 3 or 4 times a day in sets of 5-10. Use our first five routines here to learn more tips and tricks for proper breathing to activate and release your core.

Magnesium

Even though I’m listing this third, I cannot say enough about how much taking magnesium orally every day AND soaking in epsom salts once a week has eliminated my moodiness and cramping issues. I tried the herbs. I tried the meditation. I tried prayer. My answer to prayer was magnesium. I just needed more of it. This ion plays a HUGE roll in muscle and fascia, both with relaxation and healing. I do not have a specific brand I recommend because my following is international, and I feel it’s important for you to source it as locally and naturally as possible. Read more about magnesium’s affect on diastasis recti here.

Scheduling Downtime 

As much as it is within my power to do so, I try to keep my schedule light in few days before and during my period. If I pre-plan more downtime for myself, a lighter schedule, no major projects to complete, a couple of hot baths, and also give the hubs a heads-up that he will get more “daddy time” with the kids, things go a lot better THUS fewer negative stimuli to perpetuate the exhaustion which leads to more cramps and moodiness. Know what I mean?

Otherwise, it’s a vicious circle: Lower energy, a bit more moody, short-fuse temper WHICH ALL GET WORSE if I’m overbooked and stressed WHICH THEN CAUSES even less energy, more moodiness, an even shorter fuse on my temper LEADING TO A COLOSSAL dropping of this mama’s basket. Have you seen “The Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood” where she quote-unquote drops her basket? Yeah, that.

Asking for help

My husband is always willing to parent his own children, especially if he knows that it will help ease my symptoms of being “on the rag” as some {not him} call it. I just tell him, “Honey, I started my period this morning. Can you hang with the kids tonight while I put my feet up and rest in our room?”

He has never said no to me. Not once. So why do I ever hesitate to ask?

If you have small children – or even pets – that needs lots of attention, and you have a great spouse/partner or nearby family/friends, then some pre-meditated playdates are in order. You don’t need to say why. Just ask. I believe our cycles can be a beautiful time of allowing ourselves to be served the way we serve our families; why not give them a chance to practice ministry on us?

Our fellow girlfriends are pretty sympathetic, too! After all they get it! Calling one up when you’re feeling under the weather and saying, “Hey, I’ve got some serious cramps here, and I really need to take a hot espom salt bath and rehydrate and relax for a while. Can you bring your kids over and play while I do that? I’ll do it for you when it’s your turn!

You may have heard of The Red Tent, a book written by Anita Diamant that has sparked a movement of women across the world who are working to embrace our divinely created femininity from the aspect of it’s power, not weakness. It takes fictional liberty with the story of Dinah, the one sister of Jacob’s 12 sons in the Bible, peeking back into the history of how women went into a red tent for birth and menstruating during that ancient time. They sat on straw, chatted with each other and supported one another. They rested. They took a break and didn’t (couldn’t) perform any food preparation or husbandly “duties” during those cleansing times. Each woman in those nomadic cultures, even servants, got their turn in the red tent each month. Imagine the amazing conversations among ladies old and young! I think I need a red tent.

The PMS Routine

Yes, I’ve filmed a whole routine specifically for that time of the month. At first I wasn’t sure how such a specialized routine would go over. Would it get much traction? How much would it really be used by Fit2B members? Um, as it turns out, quite a bit, and not just for PMS! The stretches were gathered through my personal research and discussion with other experts and determined based on the musculature and ligaments surrounding the pelvis, thighs, bellies, middle back, and even chest and neck that seems to cry out with a combination of both tightness and instability when we ladies are on our cycles. Find that routine HERE

The PMS Routine has also been used by members during pregnancy to ease sacroiliac and round ligament pain. It is also used in the days right after delivering a baby to ease their after-birth pains. Many have also reported it to be helpful symphysis pubic dysfunction SPD pain, too, but to be honest, I wasn’t even thinking of those connections when I made it!

“This pregnancy during first trimester I found the PMS routine helpful.” -Renee C.

“If you are hitting ‘that’ time of the month, do your body a favor and do the PMS routine. I was so achy and sore and just knew I needed to stretch and move but wasn’t real motivated to, clicked the PMS routine and did it. Oh my goodness, I feel so much better, my lower back and hips are thanking me, my spirit is more relaxed and calm, I can now move on with my day – it’s only midday here – and finish all that needs my attention. Thank you Beth, for this workout today.” -Jennifer M.

“I’ve been feeling pretty disconnected from my core the past few days, and then suddenly the return of my period at 10 months pp. So many things make sense.. My back easily tiring, achey legs, tiredness, feeling on edge.. At least it all had a reason! May just have to do the PMS routine later as a treat.” -Katie M.

What helps YOU cope with your monthly cycles? Is there something I missed that works wonders for you during this time? Please leave a comment!