4 ways personal trainers can help clients reduce period pain

If your clients are complaining of period pain, working through it or even skipping sessions with you, this is going to help you, help them reduce period pain by arming you with proven strategies that work.

If you don’t know me yet, my name is Omega, I am an exercise scientist, menstrual cycle educator and founder of the Confident Menstrual Cycle Coach Academy and this is one of the personal trainers who I got the pleasure of working with in the Academy. She use to take 9 motrin a day to manage her period pain, but now, just by using the foods I’ve suggested she’s been able to reduce her period pain and not be reliant on motrin at all! And the same is possible for everyone out there. So this is how we do it…

Tip #1 - Increase Omega 3s intake

Omega-3s have been shown to help reduce period pain in this study on college students. Half of the students in this study took 1000 Omega 3s all cycle long as a preventative for period pain, while the other group of control students just took ibuprofen. By the way 1000 mg is = to 1 oz of wild caught salmon or 1 tbsp of flax seed. The results were that the Omega 3 students had drastically less period pain! 

Check it out - in the beginning of the study, about half of the students had severe period pain and at the end of the 2-months, none of the Omega 3 students had severe period pain. So sources of Omega 3’s that you can encourage your clients to get include salmon, pasture-raised eggs. chia seeds, flax seeds and avocado.

And remember, these foods are best eaten in small amounts every day.

Tip #2 - Increase Fiber Intake

Cramps are largely due to high prostaglandins. These compounds are trying to help release the inner lining of the uterus. If you have clients with cramps you know that sometimes they have to skip sessions because of pain, and ultimately, that affects your bottom line. An overproduction of prostaglandins can create cramping. And prostaglandins are produced when there is a high concentration of estrogen!

So one way we can help our clients reduce prostaglandins and estrogen is by eating more fiber especially 2 weeks before their period is set to start. The 2-weeks before the period is set to start, in the  luteal phase, is when the body starts to naturally detoxify estrogen. Fiber works by taking toxins, like excess estrogen, from the liver and transporting it to the colon, where it is then released via our bowel movement.

High fiber foods that I always have handy in my luteal phase include: sweet potatoes, squash, wild rice, apples, dates and carrots. These aren’t the only high fiber foods that work for estrogen detoxification…encourage your client to find high fiber foods that work for them.. 

Tip #3 - Increase Antioxidants!

Antioxidants help our bodies reduce overall inflammation that our body deals with. Remember before when I was talking about how prostaglandins help create cramps. Well, antioxidants work to reduce the pain-causing prostaglandins. I notice a huge difference in low back discomfort when I am on my antioxidants game.

This is the antioxidant juice that I take every night and LOVE! But other antioxidants that are just as good include colorful fruits and veggies like dark leafy greens, berries, cherries, apples, citrus, sweet potatoes and bananas.

Tip #4 - Reduce highly saturated fatty foods before period pain starts 

This tip is also in alignment with reducing pain-producing prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are enhanced by estrogen, but we help prostaglandins formation by eating highly saturated fatty foods. And we don’t want to encourage more pain…And the sad part is, that most of us crave high fat foods prior to our cycle starting.

So before I dive into those high fat that I recommend clients reduce prior to their period starting, know that your clients don’t have to be without these all cycle long, advising clients to start reducing the intake of these foods about 5-7 days before anticipated cramping starts is plenty of time to set them up for success.

High fat foods to advise your clients to reduce 5-7 prior to the cycle starting include foods like bacon, cream, cow cheese, butter, chips and fried food.

Key word here is reduce not eliminate! You can advise your clients to replace these foods with anti-inflammatory fats salmon or lox, coconut, goat cheese & avocado.

So if you want to go from not feeling confident in teaching your clients how to reduce period pain to becoming confident in helping your clients not only be the fittest, but also the most aligned with their cycle so that they can feel their best in every area of their lives and in every phase of their cycle, apply for the Confident Menstrual Cycle Coaching Academy.

This is an application only course and the application process is really simple. All you need to do is click this link to apply. From there, you’ll choose a time for a call. On our call I’ll ask you a few application questions and together, you and I will decide if working together is a fit for both of us.