Keep on exercising during your period

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It has been a week since Heidi, along with Jeff, started her fitness program at the Quantum Athletic Club in Menara Imperium, Kuningan, South Jakarta.

B.J. Habibie was still riding high as president when Heidi last visited a gym, so the head of fitness at the Quantum, Diding Winardi, started her out on the stationary bike and treadmill and threw in a series of abdominal workouts (without equipment) on the first day.

"Well, that was a piece of cake," Heidi said, after she'd managed to finish the exercises without any problem.

The next day, there was no bike so she jumped on the treadmill for the next 30 minutes, at various speeds and inclines.

Although it was exactly the same as on the first day, Heidi felt faint.

"Whoa! I think I'm gonna die," she thought.

Diding felt no pity for her. After asking her to do some stretching, he ordered Heidi to join the aerobics class.

"Just 20 minutes, and then we're going to do some weight training," he said.

What?

And so, in the name of Linda Hamilton, Heidi joined the class with aerobics guru Esther Suwito.

Sweating and out of breath, Diding then gave her some exercise for her abdominal and legs.

Heidi finally managed to complete the two-hour exercise, but she was wondering what it was that had weakened her stamina.

And then she remembered. She was having her period.

It was the first day of her menstrual cycle this month. The first two days tend to be sort of painful, with stomach cramps and nausea.

When she told Diding, he said that doing exercise when menstruating shouldn't pose any problems.

"It depends, though. Some women just can't do anything at all while having their period. But, basically, it's not a problem," he said.

"Perhaps you just shouldn't do too many exercises that cause contractions in your abdominal area."

So, how do athletes deal with the demands of performing while they are having their period?

Harly Ramayani, a former competitive diver and now a coach, said she understood that the first days of a woman's period could be difficult.

"The first two days of the period are usually the most painful for some women, physically and emotionally, and there is a high blood flow, so I give them days off," she said, adding that the athletes could not wear tampons or sanitary napkins when diving.

"In the water, it won't be a problem. But when they wait for their turn to dive and the blood flows, it won't be comfortable. They usually just go to the bathroom."

However, she said, the athlete must not think of menstruation as an obstacle to their training.

As for competition, Harly said they usually contacted a doctor one or two months in advance to ask for medicine that could delay a period or bring it on quicker.

Top badminton player Lidya Djaelawijaya, meanwhile, said that she never went to a doctor for medication because she was afraid of the side effects.

"Yes, a period can be painful sometimes, but we have to be able to face it. I reduce some of my exercises, especially weight training, but the rest of it is the same," said Lidya.

"For competition, I usually take painkillers and some traditional herbs. But, once, my period affected me so much that I lost the match."

According to Carmen Jahya, a physician who chairs the sports commission at the National Sports Council (KONI), every woman experiences different problems during menstruation.

"But, basically, it's not a problem to do any sport at all. It's up to us as to whether we make it a problem or not. I often dived during my period and nothing happened. When I was still an athlete, I usually broke records when I got my period," said the former discus athlete.

It is also fine, she added, to do exercises that cause contractions in the abdominal muscles.

"Taking medicine from a doctor to delay one's period is also OK, but it has to be really well planned," Carmen said.

Back to Heidi, at the gym again, doing the treadmill as usual. Instead of aerobics, she has been ordered to join the Taebo class.

"Now THIS is fun," she thought as she kicked, jumped and punched, imagining a backstabbing colleague and an annoying ex- boyfriend as she went through the moves.

But, at the end of the class, she checked her weight, and was left in a funk as the needle did not shift at all from the point it was at when she was measured at the beginning of the program.

"Guess I still can't wear my old tight T-shirt yet," she sighed.