Survey study, 1998
Does exercise help PMS?
Exercise was not linked to having less PMS. However, women with PMS who exercised regularly had significantly less anxiety than sedentary women with PMS.
What they did
Researchers compared 19 women who exercised regularly with 20 sedentary women. They tracked PMS symptoms across the menstrual cycle and measured anxiety levels.
What they found
The proportion of women with PMS did not differ significantly between the exercise and sedentary groups. Among women with PMS, those who exercised regularly had significantly reduced anxiety compared to those who did not exercise.
What it means for you
Exercise does not appear to prevent or reduce PMS itself, but may reduce the anxiety that often comes with PMS. The widespread belief that exercise helps PMS may actually come from its anxiety-reducing effects. This study was small and had no intervention group, so we cannot confirm exercise caused the anxiety reduction.
19
regularly exercising women
20
sedentary women
2
menstrual cycle phases studied
About the study
- Original title
- Exercise is linked to reductions in anxiety but not premenstrual syndrome in women with prospectively-assessed symptoms
- Authors
- Robert J. Kirkby, Helen Lindner
- Journal
- Psychology Health & Medicine
- Year
- 1998
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 20
- What was tested
- Regular exercise vs. sedentary lifestyle
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/13548509808402237
Topics
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