Advice from the ladies please.

[don-don]

Hi,

Have any of you ladies delayed or stopped your period by exercising too much?

I don't think I'm going over the top but have been pushing myself harder lately.

I'm usually regular as clockwork with a 26 day cycle but I'm late 3 days and 99% confident that I'm not pregnant.

I had a quick look around the net but it mostly gives info about messing with your cycle if you cut your calories right down (I haven't to that extent) or if your BF% is low (mine's not)

Thanks

[Warrior Princess Lisa]

Yep, I don't get mine now because I have an IUD, but it used to be late if I was exercising intensly, or even stressed out. Try not to worry about it too much, unless you still don't get it in a week or so, then I'd see a doctor.

[morethanjustamom]

My first cycle was 5 days late when I started lifting, the second was on time, third is due to start in a few days.

[Hermione Gainser]

Yup. When I started working out a lot it threw it off. But then it got back on track. I think i was a week or two late.

If, after a week you still don't have it I would test-just to be sure. If that's negative I'd either go see a doctor or wait another week then go see a doctor.

[don-don]

Thanks all, much appreciated

I didn't think I'd been too excessive but my body obviously disagrees. I'll give it to the weekend and grab a test to be sure.

[morethanjustamom]

Lifting heavy is a pretty big shock to the system. Anything like that is interpreted by the body as stress, and can delay ovulation until your body decides it's either back to normal or your new situation is the new normal.

[don-don]

I'm not technically weight lifting (8KG kettlebells) so not too heavy. I want to prepare myself, both my muscles and in strength before I touch heavy weights, I'm also working on getting my weight down a little more too....then I'll be ready to play with the big strong boys and girls

I have recently upped the amount of exercise I am doing though. I'm doing 4x weekly Kb's for 30-45 mins + 15 mins warm up and cool down on exercise bike. I also do 2x 30-45 mins weekly floor work ( Cat vomits, hip/glute bridges, scissor kicks, leg lifts, planks, squats, lunges etc...) I have 1 day off completely, somewhere in there too, but I feel fine. I feel I have more energy and my muscles are hurting no more than before. So my menstrual cycle will just have to damn well get used to it

[Beckles]

Am I the only one who experienced the opposite? I use the ring and had been spacing it out an extra week for several years (multiple docs said there were more than enough hormones to leave it in for 4 weeks instead of the usual 3) and my periods got closer together after working out regularly. Instead of it starting a few days after taking it out, it began starting a week before taking it out. I tried just sticking to my normal schedule, but then it lasted 2 weeks. Now I just follow the normal 3 weeks since that's what my body was going to do anyway. The only thing that changed during that time were that I was eating less garbage and weightlifting regularly.

A coworker said the same thing happened to her and her daughter. Periods got closer together instead of farther apart.

[don-don]

As the ring is a hormone method of contraception and we release other hormones when exercising, it could be a mix up going on inside and it knocks your forced cycle to pot. It's not fact, I'm not a doc, just my thoughts.

[concretecavewoman]

I have only experienced this with chronic cardio, not from lifting. Not sure how hormonal BC plays into it though.