You Know What They Say... Exercise is the Best Medicine

    

     For many of us, 'that time of the month' is an excuse to lie around, binge on junk food, and neglect our exercise routines (I'm not always exempt from this).  Energy levels are low, irritability is high, and pain and discomfort still higher -- sometimes, the last thing you want to do is get up and get your butt in gear.  However, next time you find that cramps and fatigue are getting the best of you, resist the urge to curl up in a ball with a hunk of chocolate, get up, and get active.  Believe me -- exercise is better than 800mg of Ibuprofen when it comes to menstrual woes.  Take today, for example: I was tired, cranky, and slightly nauseous with an achy lower back and a constant dull pain in my uterus (I'm sure I don't have to describe this feeling to you).  I had made plans earlier to go for an evening jog with a girlfriend, and I could not have been less interested in keeping that date -- I just wanted to go home and curl up in bed in self-pity.  However, I told myself that [maybe] I'd feel better in the end for it and forced myself to get moving.  As it turns out, it's true what they say -- exercise really is the best medicine!  I started my run feeling lethargic and hardly motivated; I ended feeling refreshed, energized, and pain-free!  Headache, cramps, fatigue -- gone!  As hard as it was to get going, I'm glad I pushed myself.  It was definitely worth the struggle.  Remember, the next time exercising is the last thing you want to do, it might be the one thing you should do!  Tried and true.  :)