Exercise and Menses

Hi lovelies! I am back with another post today about Softcup and working out. Now, one of my new year’s resolutions, and really year-round resolutions is to start running again. I got into it for a while this summer, but I fell out of the habit and it’s hard to get started again. I am honestly not a very fit person, what with all the time I spend sitting in front of the computer. I have a pretty healthy-vegetarian diet, but exercise does so many good things for the body as well. So I am really going to go for a run today. Well I’ll walk my dog, and save the run for tomorrow. Or the next day. ;)

Instead Softcup

Regardless of my negligent exercise habits, I often find myself invited to exercise with friends or needing to do somewhat physical activity for an extended period of time while I’m menstruating. This presents a problem because we don’t want to experience leaks while we’re running around, and we may need our period protection to last for a long time, especially if you’re going to be outdoors the whole day, hiking perhaps, without a bathroom in sight. This is where I think Softcup (or other menstrual cups) make a huge difference. Softcup is very comfortable and lasts for up to twelve hours.

The tampons I used in highschool

Back in high school, I used to wear tampons during the day and I participated in my high school’s marching band, which meant three rehearsals a week after a long day of school. Needless to say when I had my period, about four hours of sleep, and three hour band rehearsal, I was not a happy camper.  Tampons were just the extra nudge in the wrong direction. They were fine for going to class, but then during band rehearsal it would feel like I literally had a stick up there while I marched around in fundamentals. Very uncomfortable, and I really wished I had found out about cups during high school. I also had to change my tampon right after school let out in the gross public high school bathrooms, because my tampons were semi-leaky on occasion and would definitely leak after a school day plus band rehearsal. When I look back it also seems very unsanitary to me, because I would wear disposable liners along with my tampon that had a non breathing plastic layer to them.  

sweat + menstrual fluid + pantiliner I’ve been wearing all day at school = questionable

But anyways, on the other hand I absolutely love Softcup for exercise. I walked a 10k with a cup in, and it didn’t leak the whole time or bother me. I even ran (well, tried to run) the last mile or so, and I felt great. I have also worn cups on runs, and they stay in place beautifully and have a great capacity. You never have to worry about them leaking in the middle of a long run or a long workout. I have a friend who is very athletic. I turned her onto cups and she likes them a lot for running in official races or in general. I've also worn a cup while swimming and had no leakage--I was a bit nervous, and usually some water gets in the cup, but no blood comes out! And most importantly Softcup are sooo comfortable—I don’t feel them inside me at all (unlike tampons), so even if my legs and lower belly are aching from period pains, I don’t have to add another discomfort to my body while working out. I mean, hopefully the endorphins from my run should help with the aches, but sometimes after a run I just ache all over in more places.

Disposable and reusable Softcup

I hope y’all enjoyed this post, and are staying fit and exercising (unlike me). Please share any tips you have about getting motivated to go running and such and your opinions on exercising during menstruation. Thank you for reading!

FTC: I was asked to do this series of posts on Instead Softcup by their marketing company, and I am being compensated, however these are still my 100% honest opinions about the product and my lifestyle.