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SURVEY OF THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON MENSTRUAL PAIN BETWEEN YOUNGER AND OLDER PREMENOPAUSAL FEMALES

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD), or menstrual pain, can be disruptive to all areas of a woman’s life. While exercise is recommended to help manage PD, this may differ by age and exercise type. The purpose of this study was to explore how exercise effects menstrual pain and which exercises improve pain, between younger and older premenopausal women. METHODS: The data for the current study was taken from a larger survey study of women with self-reported menstrual pain (n=129; Age: 31.7±8.9yrs; 65.9% white; 68.7% from the United States). Participants were separated into two premenopausal age groups, younger (18-29 years old; n=71) and older (30+ years; n=58). Responses to the multi-response question, “how does exercise impact your menstrual pain?” were evaluated. Those who indicated having pain with exercise were asked to indicate pain severity on a 0-10 scale. Those who indicated pain improvements with exercise were asked which exercises improved their pain. Descriptives and frequencies were analyzed using Excel. RESULTS: In younger women (92 total responses), 14.1% reported pain with exercise (mean pain: 4.9±2.1), 6.5% reported no pain, 38% reported pain improving, 17.4% reported pain worsening, 15.2% reported no change in pain, and 8.7% reported “other”. Moderate-intensity aerobic was most reported for improving pain (30.4% of 79 responses), followed by low-intensity aerobic (22.8%), strength/resistance training (17.7%) and yoga/Pilates (11.4%). In older women (75 total responses), 17.3% reported pain with exercise (mean pain: 6.1±1.7), 4% reported no pain, 33.3% reported pain improving, 9.3% reported pain worsening, 29.3% reported no change in pain, and 6.7% reported “other”. Low-intensity aerobic and yoga/Pilates were most reported for improving pain (25.5% each of 55 responses), follow by strength/resistance training (20%) and moderate-intensity aerobic (18.2%). CONCLUSION: Based on percentages, 38% of younger and 33.3% of older women reported pain improved, while 32.6% and 38.6% reported worsening or no change with exercise, respectively. Low to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and yoga/Pilates seemed to be most beneficial for pain improvement in both age groups, followed by strength/resistance training. Future research should take life stage, exercise experience, and exercise preference into consideration when observing the effects of exercise on PD.

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