period weirdness

[phantomdog]

hi all,

recently my periods have become somewhat irregular. last week it was around 6 days late, and as of today it is 10 days late (meaning this is, according to a tracking app i have, day 43 of my cycle). i believe it is because i have begun exercising intensely compared to how i used to - i've been biking to and from school each day (2 miles each way, fully uphill the way back), and my classes this year are all in different buildings and on different floors, so that means lots of climbing stairs and walking! i've also changed my diet a lot so i eat a lot more fruits and vegetables and get a lot of protein from fish and chicken. i read online that a lot of people who begin exercising a lot tend to experience menstrual irregularities or an absence of them altogether, so i am wondering if that's what's going on here. earlier today i went to the bathroom and passed what looked to be small pieces of tissue, which only happens on my period. i have also been getting cramps on and off for the past couple days. should i be worried about pregnancy or another condition, or just wait it out and see what happens? it's concerning to me but i'm trying not to worry too much.

[Heather]

Yep, upping exercise absolutely can potentially change a bunch of things about menstrual cycles: the timing of them, the amount or length of flow, how much or how little cramping you and other menstrual symptoms.

It's also very common for cycles to shift at least a few times throughout a lifetime.

It sounds like you may be getting or starting your period now, so unless you think you could have become pregnant -- like if you had the kind of sex that can cause pregnancy, especially if you did without using a method of contraception -- in which case you can test for that, or that something may be up with your health -- in which case you should see your healthcare provider -- I'd just keep an eye.

[phantomdog]

hi heather,

yeah it did start later that day lol. everything's all good but i'll bring it up to my doctor when i see her for my check up in january. thank you! :>

[Heather]

Sounds about right! Honestly, a shift in cycles like this, especially when you're in the midst of doing things that support your health, rather than create health risks, just isn't something you usually ever have to worry about.

That said, if people are exercising a lot and start downright missing periods, especially if they're also limiting caloric intake, that can be a signal you are OVERdoing those things and that you should slow down a little.