Can You Swim On Your Period?

Can you swim on your period? Yes, you can! It does put many off and we get it, sadly there is still stigma and fear attached to doing exercise whilst menstruating & even more so when it comes to swimming. We want to help dispel these myths & explain how you can enjoy water sports irrespective of where you are in your monthly cycle.

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[gtn]

Did you find this video helpful? What topics do you want to see us cover at GTN? Let us know 👇

[nathanjones]

Thank you for this video. As the father of daughters who enjoy swimming I wish to not only learn more but also learn how I can reduce the potential for anxiety and encourage ongoing sports participation throughout their lives. Much appreciated GTN team and Heather Fell in particular here

[eagleironic]

Kudos GTN for covering this topic, and facilitating a conversation and support around it!

[lala]

Thanks for covering this! Personally, I find that my performance is way worse at this time of the month and my periods tend to be on the very bad and heavy side most of the time, but I do find that keeping on doing some cardio really helps with reducing the amount of pain.

[hurricane]

Thanks for covering this! I also was in the boat of “what do you mean you’re skipping games??”
My biggest tip (and this is a hill I am willing to die on) for other athletes who need them is to try menstrual cups. They are everything great about tampons plus comfortable, easier on the wallet over the long term, more discreet… If they don’t work for you that’s ok, but if you aren’t sure and haven’t tried them yet, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

[alligatorseverywhere]

Huge Thanks for covering these topics! It’s great to feel seeing and included. I’m new to Tri culture, preparing for a sprint event. Your videos have helped me tons! Please share more. Blessings and great vibes your way. 🙌🏽

[ChloeMartinBrown]

Thanks for making this- my initial thought when I saw the vid was 'duh, yes, why is this a question?' and then I think of the rate at which young women and girls drop away from sport, and what it's like to be an adult who found sport in their 20's rather than having grown up with it, and understanding that there are SO MANY questions, so answering this one for anyone who needs it is awesome and reminds people like me who weren't thinking about the issue to be more aware!!

[tabakva]

Thank you for the video! So great we start discussing such subjects! For me personally tampons work just fine, and my period never stopped me from training. Curious about the period swimwear, never even heard about it.

[ronekelly]

Excellent now your addressing comprehensive topics of interest to all your Subscribers……. Sometimes it can seem like 50% of us don’t exist .

[gabrielleshanahan]

Love love love this! Talking more about periods and sports makes it so much more of an approachable subject and empowers women! To think that we can still engage in sports whilst our bodies go through so much each month is amazing 😁🏃‍♀️💪🏼

[meganparr]

Thanks for talking about this! As a triathlete with endometriosis, this is often the most difficult time to train. Swimming is certainly the kindest thing I can do for myself if I’m not bed bound! However, thanks to a few childhood movies, I am forever terrified of getting eaten by a shark open water swimming with my period. Irrational, but never to be resolved fear!
I certainly find the cool water in summer or a hot spa after a swim in winter great for helping with the pain though, and you’re right, even some gentle movement helps!

[LibraryAnn]

Thanks so much! What a great video! I can confirm from personal experience that swimming absolutely lessens my period pain (and foul mood) and I whole heartedly recommend a menstrual cup for swimming - just make sure you try it a few times so you know how it works with your body before diving in. Just about to do my first ever 70.3 —- on my period- so I am excited to hear that folks can perform better during this point in the cycle.

[lkjay]

Excellent video and great that you’re starting an open dialogue on this. I wonder if you could do something similar about training for menopausal women as well?

[wcuefan]

Ty for the info! I was getting a pool today now i can swim ty!

[emmachivers]

This is amazing for me as a young swimmer thank you ✨

[Jenniferluvswim]

Thanks for covering this I woke up this morning to my period and I have a very important meet today and tmrw and the the day after that

[livfitz]

Thanks for covering this topic. It's important.
Event organisers also need to think more about menstruating women. I change my tampon after the swim, especially in long races. In an Ironman event last year, the toilets in T1 were before you actually entered transition, so I couldn't access my things before using them. I had to carry my spare tampon in a zip lock bag in my gel pocket for the swim and hope for the best. (Thankfully, it survived).

[carolinesmith]

Didn’t know period swim wear was a thing, I’ll definitely be investing!

[emmag]

Have tried period swimwear. It’s fine for gentle swimming but not suitable for training. Not because of leaking, but because the cut is aimed at people swimming for leisure rather than fitness. I’m not blessed in the boob department but I was definitely at risk of slippage when I tried doing front crawl at my normal speed. 😅

[EdytkaMgz]

I personally like using Joydivision soft tampons when swimming. They don’t look like other tampons (kind of small pink foam without a string), yet still give great protection :)