Lifting the weight of fibroids off your shoulders is more of an emotional exercise than a physical one.
But what if we told you that exercise could, in fact, help to mitigate and manage your experience of uterine fibroids?
Whether you have hereditary concerns that you may develop fibroids in the future or you are already living with the presence of these non-cancerous tumors, regular fitness is bound to help you move forward with confidence.
Here’s how:
Work Hard & Play Hard For Prevention
From swimming and running to yoga or pilates, there’s no one perfect exercise when it comes to your uterine fibroid risk — only what works best for your body in specific. That being said, according to Livestrong, any regular exercise regimen can help you to maintain your weight and/or get leaner, thereby mitigating your risk for uterine fibroid development.
In fact, “vigorous exercise of 3 or more hours per week reduces your risk of fibroids by about 30-40%” a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirms.
Again, there is no one perfect exercise for uterine fibroid prevention. However, the following have proven to be promising when used regularly in that they strike a healthy balance between rigor and exertion:
- Pilates
- Aerobic/cardio exercises
- Weight training
- And more
Powering Through The Pain
For women already living with uterine fibroids, it’s not too late for exercise to help lead your body in the right direction.
As a matter of fact, another 2017 study found that, of the participating women, exercise led to a “significant reduction in [their] score of dysmenorrhea.” In other words, it reduced the severity of pelvic and menstrual pain the women experienced as a result of their fibroids.
What’s more, exercise’s impact on women’s hormone balance may also play a role in treating one’s fibroid symptoms.
In fact, research conducted by the American Association for Cancer Research found that exercise actually alters estrogen metabolism, thereby helping women to reduce their risk for breast cancer, another hormone-related tumor.
But that’s not all.
As estrogen has a significant impact on uterine fibroid growth, an alteration in how the body metabolizes estrogen may reduce the overall volume of hormone circulating through the body, thereby reducing uterine fibroid growth and pain.
Exercising Your Right For Long-Term Comfort
Regardless of whether exercise has proven helpful to your and your specific experiences, one thing remains the same: You don’t have to let uterine fibroids continue to cramp your style.
Here at Duval Vascular & Fibroid Center, we specialize in restoring womens’ long-term comfort through uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), an FDA-approved and minimally-invasive process that shrinks away your fibroids without the need for anesthesia.
From education and empowerment to enhancing your quality of life through superior treatment, we’re here to help you fight your fibroids.
To learn more, contact our team today by calling 904-423-6017! We look forward to providing you with state-of-the-art care.
