The best things you can do during your period come down to managing pain before it peaks, eating foods that work with your body instead of against it, staying active even when you don’t feel like it, and choosing comfort strategies that actually make a difference. Most period symptoms are driven by prostaglandins, hormone-like compounds that cause your uterus to contract and shed its lining. Nearly everything on this list targets those contractions or their side effects.
Stay Ahead of Cramps With Pain Relief
If you get cramps, timing matters more than most people realize. Taking ibuprofen at the first sign of discomfort, or even just before your period starts if you can predict it, is far more effective than waiting until pain is already intense. The recommended dose for menstrual cramps is 400 mg every four hours as needed. Ibuprofen works by blocking the production of prostaglandins, so it’s directly targeting the cause of the pain rather than just masking it.
If you prefer non-medication options or want to use them alongside ibuprofen, a heating pad on your lower abdomen or back is one of the most consistently effective tools. Heat relaxes the uterine muscle and increases blood flow to the area. Even a warm bath or a hot water bottle tucked into your waistband works.
Magnesium supplements can also help reduce cramping. Small clinical studies have used doses of 150 to 300 mg per day with positive results, and one study found that 250 mg of magnesium combined with vitamin B6 was particularly effective. Starting magnesium a few days before your period is ideal, but taking it during your period still helps. Sticking closer to 150 mg daily is a safe starting point.
Move Your Body, Even Gently
Exercise is probably the last thing you want to do when you’re cramping and tired, but it’s one of the most effective natural pain relievers available. Aerobic exercise, things like brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or dancing, has been shown to reduce menstrual pain more effectively than yoga or stretching alone. A pilot randomized controlled trial found that moderate-to-high-intensity interval aerobic exercise significantly reduced pain intensity at two-month follow-ups and also decreased the need for painkillers.
You don’t need to do a full workout. Even 20 to 30 minutes of movement that gets your heart rate up can trigger endorphin release, which directly counteracts pain signals. On heavier or more uncomfortable days, a walk around the block still counts. The goal is circulation, not performance.
Eat to Reduce Inflammation
What you eat during your period can either fuel inflammation or help calm it down. Prostaglandins are the main driver of cramps, and certain foods help your body absorb and eliminate them more efficiently. High-fiber foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains all support this process.
Omega-3 fatty acids actively reduce prostaglandin production. You’ll find them in salmon, cod, halibut, flaxseed, and walnuts. Vitamin E may also inhibit prostaglandin activity, and good sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, and peanut butter. Even adding a handful of walnuts to your oatmeal or snacking on sunflower seeds makes a difference over the course of several days.
Iron is the other big dietary priority. You lose iron through menstrual blood, and if your stores drop low enough, you’ll feel exhausted and lightheaded. Menstruating adults need about 18 mg of iron per day. The best-absorbed form comes from animal sources like beef, chicken, clams, oysters, and scallops. Plant-based sources include lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, tofu, and tempeh, but your body absorbs non-heme iron less efficiently. Pairing these foods with something high in vitamin C, like citrus fruit, tomatoes, or broccoli, significantly boosts absorption.
Choose the Right Period Products
You have more options than ever: pads, tampons, menstrual cups, menstrual discs, period underwear, or some combination. The best choice depends on your flow, comfort level, and daily activities.
Tampons should be changed every four to eight hours, and you should always use the lowest absorbency that handles your flow. Using higher-absorbency tampons than necessary or leaving them in too long increases the risk of toxic shock syndrome. TSS is rare today (about 1 per 100,000 women per year), largely because of better labeling and lower-absorbency products, but it remains a real risk. Using tampons exclusively carries a higher risk than alternating between tampons and pads. Teens are disproportionately affected, accounting for about 40% of menstrual TSS cases, likely due to lower awareness.
Menstrual discs can be worn for up to 12 hours, making them a good option for long days or overnight use, though heavier flow days may require more frequent changes. Menstrual cups have a similar wear time and the added benefit of being reusable. Period underwear works well as a backup or standalone option on lighter days.
Optimize Sleep and Rest Positions
Sleep can be rough during your period, especially on the first couple of days. Your position matters. Lying on your back with a pillow or bolster under your knees is considered the most pain-relieving position for cramps. It decompresses the lower back and improves circulation, especially when your legs are slightly elevated above your heart. In yoga, this is called Supported Savasana, and it works just as well in bed with a regular pillow.
The fetal position, curled on your side with knees drawn toward your chest, is another popular choice because it takes pressure off the abdominal muscles. If you tend to bleed heavily at night, sleeping on your side with a towel underneath you can prevent leaks. Pairing a heating pad with either of these positions for 15 to 20 minutes before you fall asleep can help you drift off more comfortably.
Stay Hydrated and Reduce Bloating
It sounds counterintuitive, but drinking more water actually reduces bloating. When you’re dehydrated, your body holds onto fluid, making that puffy, heavy feeling worse. Aim for your usual water intake and then some. Warm or hot water, including herbal teas like ginger or chamomile, can also help relax the uterine muscle and ease nausea.
Reducing salt intake in the days leading up to and during your period helps too, since sodium drives water retention. Processed foods, takeout, and salty snacks are the biggest culprits. This doesn’t mean you need a restrictive diet. Just shifting toward whole foods and staying hydrated makes a noticeable difference in how swollen and uncomfortable you feel.
Know What’s Normal and What’s Not
A typical period involves losing about 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood over the course of several days. Losing more than 5 tablespoons is considered heavy menstrual bleeding. Since measuring blood loss isn’t practical, the more useful guideline is this: if you’re soaking through a pad or tampon every hour for two or more consecutive hours, that’s a sign something needs medical attention. Bleeding through two or more products per hour for two to three hours in a row warrants urgent care.
Other signs that your period is heavier or more painful than it should be include passing blood clots larger than a quarter, periods lasting longer than seven days, cramps so severe they don’t respond to ibuprofen or other over-the-counter options, and fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest and good nutrition. These symptoms can point to conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, or hormonal imbalances, all of which are treatable once identified.