Increase your endorphins without exercise
Are you trying to reduce intense exercise on your period recovery journey and finding it WAY harder than you expected?
People with hypothalamic amenorrhea often rely on movement not only for body shaping or “earning their food”, but also as a form of stress management. We’re often type-A people who need some form of “productive” me-time to de-stress. In some ways, this makes a lot of sense. Exercise releases chemicals in the body called endorphins, and is often viewed as a great way to manage emotions and experience pleasure (it’s called “runner’s high” for a reason)! And in a world where you are getting regular periods, this isn’t so bad for stress relief. However, when you exercise, you don’t see the “bad” hormones that keep your missing period away. That’s why it’s important that we find our endorphins in other ways too!
What are endorphins?
Endorphins are chemicals that are produced naturally in the body. They help us to manage pain and experience feelings of pleasure. Endorphin release is not only linked to exercise, but also laughter, love, sex, and delicious food.1
Endorphins create feelings that we are hard-wired to crave. It makes sense that cutting out exercise feels super hard if you’re used to getting the endorphin rush every day. The good news is that you don’t need your daily run to get your brain to release endorphins. Here are some alternatives for you to rely on during recovery:
Watch comedy
Endorphin release has been linked to laughter. What better way to relax and de-stress than throwing on your favorite stand-up special on Netflix and putting your feet up?
Eat some delicious food
It’s not surprising that we’re hard-wired to enjoy delicious food, right? Thankfully, this endorphin-releasing trick is a win-win in recovery. Digging into your favorite comfort food will give you a pleasant rush of endorphins while also helping fuel your body. What more could you want?!
Try some acupuncture
Acupuncture is an alternative medicine treatment that involves using tiny needles to stimulate pressure points. It can be helpful for all sorts of ailments, including stress, muscle tension, injury, and chronic pain. Research shows that acupuncture works by stimulating the release of endorphins.2 It’s a safe and foolproof way to get your dose of happy chemicals.
Meditate
You’ve probably heard that meditation is a great way to calm your body and your mind. It can also help to improve mood, sleep, and symptoms of anxiety. Research shows that meditation helps our brain to release endorphins- which is one of the ways that it gives us all of those benefits.3 As a bonus, it’s a recovery friendly activity!
Treat yourself to a massage
Similarly to acupuncture, massage therapy can help to treat chronic pain and physical ailments. However, it also stimulates the release of endorphins and “happy” chemicals that will leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed, and calm.4 If a professional massage is out of your price range, try trading massages with your partner or a friend!
Modifying exercise is WAY easier said than done. Remember, this process is temporary, and you can get back to your usual workouts once you’re fully recovered. However, to stay recovered, you’ll probably need to find other forms of stress relief to rely on, too.
If you’re struggling with modifying exercise it might be time to reach out for more support. Book a free 15-minute discovery call with Cynthia to see if you’d be a good fit for her support !
Chaudhry, S. R. (2021, April 8). Biochemistry, endorphin. StatPearls [Internet]. Retrieved October 29, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470306/.
JS;, H. (2004, May 6). Acupuncture and endorphins. Neuroscience letters. Retrieved October 29, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15135942/.
Rokade, P. (1970, January 1). [PDF] release of endomorphin hormone and its effects on our body and moods: A review: Semantic scholar. undefined. Retrieved October 29, 2021, from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Release-of-Endomorphin-Hormone-and-Its-Effects-on-A-Rokade/d9d6a77f113bb866ea1588edf646a60e25ca1755?p2df.
Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy. Taylor & Francis. (2004, November 22). Retrieved October 29, 2021, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00207450590956459.
