Exercise & Endometriosis: Your FAQs Answered

When experiencing the symptoms of endometriosis it can make exercise more challenging, sometimes it can feel simply impossible. 

The symptoms of endometriosis can include chronic pain, fatigue / lack of energy, depression and isolation, problems with sex-life and relationships, difficulties conceiving and challenges with keeping up with work and social commitments. 

All of these can have an impact on your exercise routine. They can even make you walk away from a sport you once loved and that brought you a lot of joy and movement to your life. 

The good news is all is not lost. There are ways to management endometriosis symptoms so that you can continue to exercise and reap all the benefits that movement brings. 

What forms of exercise are good for treating the symptoms of endometriosis?
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There are no specific exercises in the literature that are known to help endometriosis symptoms and similarly, there is minimal scientific literature evidence that exercise changes pain symptoms. Having said that, we know that exercise is good for mood and a reduction in stress and feelings of mental and physical wellbeing, which is really important in endometriosis because it can be such a debilitating condition.

Is running a good form of exercise treating the symptoms of endometriosis and if so why? #

Although running is not specifically known to be ​‘good’ for treating the symptoms of endometriosis specifically, we know that it can very much help people with their physical and mental health, not least because it can be easy to fit into your day, can get you outside into natural spaces, and can be a chance to meet people who also love running with whom you can build relationships and share problems. These simple things should not be diminished in value. Humans are better together (especially when running!). 

We also know that it can be beneficial to some degree because it reduces the inflammatory levels in the body by increasing cardiovascular exercises. However we recommend running during the weeks around your period. During your period we recommend focusing on exercises that allow the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles to relax as it reduces bloating and pain, so yoga and low impact exercise can be helpful for this time in our cycle, and around ovulation, as often this is when symptoms flare up. 

Please note that if your symptoms are in a state of high irritability it is best to consult your Women’s Health Specialist, Physiotherapist or Consultant first in terms of how to best manage these symptoms through nutrition, physiotherapy, soft tissue therapy and pain medication.

When, how often and to what intensity should such exercises be undertaken? #

Women struggling with symptoms of endometriosis should be encouraged to listen to their bodies and learn what works for them. 

There is no prescribed programme specifically for endometriosis, however, as endometriosis in a predominantly pelvic pain problem (sometimes also back and hip), it is certainly worth focusing on strength and control around the torso and lumbopelvic region (trunk, back, pelvis and hips). 

This will make you a stronger running regardless of other symptoms and makes sense even if the written scientific evidence is currently lacking.

How & why is exercise effective in treating the symptoms of endometriosis? #

We don’t have evidence of exercise being effective, unfortunately. The studies available thus far are not of high enough quality to draw any conclusions. 

I think all we can say is that exercise is really important for health and well-being and as above, that effect should not be diminished. 

Being fit and strong can help women face other health issues with more resilience and can empower women to be more mindful of the strength of their own bodies, which allows them to feel like they are in more control and have greater self-efficacy.

Are there any situations when you shouldn’t exercise? #

Endometriosis for the most part should not preclude women from exercising but there will be times when symptoms limit their ability or desire to be active. 

Because women with endometriosis have such a wide variety of symptoms, exercise may often need to be tailored from person to person but also from day to day or week to week for that particular person. For this reason, it can sometimes be helpful to seek assistance from a women’s health sports clinic for support and guidance, not least because it may be that you can do more than you think and sometimes it only takes some encouragement and empowerment to help women to be more active and make positive changes that can help them deal with their symptoms.

The last thing to say is that we need more research in this area; exercise is a powerful tool for good and given that endometriosis can be challenging to treat, the more tools we have to help women with their symptoms the better.

So we hope that this blog gives you some useful tips and knowledge to take away and use in your day-to-day life whilst managing the symptoms of endometriosis. 

It can be a tricky journey, but we are here to help you every step of the way.