Endometriosis and Exercise
What makes endometriosis (or endo for short) equal parts challenging and frustrating is that everyone’s experience is different — symptoms and pain levels vary greatly between women.
Exercise has the ability to assist in endometriosis pain management by increasing anti-inflammatory markers and therefore reducing the pain associated with endometriosis. Physical activity also increases blood flow to the abdomen and through the pelvis, thus improving the clearance of the by-products of inflammation.
In endometriosis, many of the front muscles (abdominal muscles, chest, hip flexors) become very tight and the posterior muscles become very weak which is why physical activity and using exercise as medicine can reap great benefits for those living with endometriosis. High-intensity exercises can often not be the best choice for the body when it's experiencing pain, instead focused stretching and activation exercises are great alternatives.
What are the best exercises for endometriosis you ask? Well over the course of the next 3 weeks we will share the best mobility, stretching and relaxation exercises as recommended by accredited Exercise Physiologists Elisha Silcox and Esme Soan in development with QENDO.
Active Truth is a proud partner of QENDO and is committed to helping raise awareness through information and education. We also know that not having access to clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident when you work out or have increased symptoms can be a significant barrier to participation in exercise. What you wear when you work out matters. Clothing is transformative, it can affect your mood, health, and self-esteem.
We know because of bloating and pain, there are certain days when tights or leggings are way too tight and you are forced to wear trackies or no pants at all. For those days our Endometriosis Support Tights have been described as 'life-changing'. With a high double-layered waistband without elastic (say no to digging in), technical construction and high performance graduated compression fabric the waistband lays flat on your skin and will expand with your abdomen without putting additional pressure on it.
And for the days your endo symptoms are less severe, our Smart Pocket Tights provide you with additional core support around your abdomen. Our signature high waistband (this one with elastic) moulds to your body and provides support in all the right spots.
Now that you have some options for comfortable clothes for endometriosis take a look at these recommendations to see what exercises and activities can help.
Esme Soan and Elisha Silcox are Senior Exercise Physiologists at Pear Exercise Physiology & Physio. QENDO has the best information and resources on endometriosis. Click the links below to find out more.
