--- title: Does how much girls exercise affect their PMS symptoms? | Niyora description: Yes, there was a clear difference in PMS symptoms between girls with different activity levels. Girls with health-enhancing physical activity had higher sympt url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/difference-in-premenstrual-syndrome-by-physical-activity-level-in-high-school-2014/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does how much girls exercise affect their PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2014 # Does how much girls exercise affect their PMS symptoms? Yes, there was a clear difference in PMS symptoms between girls with different activity levels. Girls with health-enhancing physical activity had higher symptom scores than the overall average. Early or limited evidence 323 high school girls ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 323 high school girls. They completed questionnaires about menstrual symptoms and their level of physical activity. Researchers sorted girls into three activity groups: inactive, minimal activity, and health-enhancing physical activity. ## What they found There was a clear difference in PMS symptoms by activity level. The overall mean PMS score was 2.20 (low). The health-enhancing physical activity group had a mean score of 2.54. Negative feelings were the most common symptom (score 2.49). Most girls (53%) were minimally active. Many other factors also affected PMS: self-rated health, caffeine and alcohol use, diet, menstrual flow, daily impact, and menstrual pain. ## What it means for you Physical activity level is linked to PMS symptoms, though the exact relationship is unclear. Higher scores suggest worse symptoms in the active group, which is surprising. This might mean girls with worse PMS exercise more to cope. The main limitation is this was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove activity causes PMS changes. 323 High school girls studied 2.20 Overall mean PMS symptom score 2.54 Mean score for health-enhancing activity group ## About the study Original title Difference in Premenstrual Syndrome by Physical Activity Level in High School Girls Authors KeonHee Nam, Young‐Hee Lee Journal Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing Year 2014 Study design Survey study Participants 323 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.5932/jkphn.2014.28.2.320](https://doi.org/10.5932/jkphn.2014.28.2.320) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Non-randomised trial, 2026 Does video-guided digital menstrual exercise reduce PMS and period pain in adolescent girls? Review, 2024 Does yoga help reduce period pain and premenstrual symptoms? Cohort study, 2019 How do exercise, diet and weight affect menstrual problems? Survey study, 2019 What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls? Cohort study, 2026 What menstrual and premenstrual problems do girls with intellectual disability experience? Non-randomised trial, 2026 Can yoga reduce PMS pain in teenage girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗