Should You Workout in a Menstrual Cup? I Tried it so You Don't Have to

It can be difficult staying active during your period. I, for one, get extreme bouts of exhaustion in the days leading up to, and during, my period. That’s not even factoring in the hormonal headaches I sometimes get.

As a very active woman, it can be frustrating trying to find the right product, or combination of products, that can reliably get you through a workout without leakage. I tried it all - tampons, pads, tampons WITH pads - all of it left me feeling frustrated.

I decided to try menstrual cups at the suggestion of a friend, and let me tell you - I will never go back. Unlike tampons and pads, menstrual cups are made from flexible materials like silicone or rubber and conform to your body’s shape. Tampons try to keep up, but they have definite slippage issues and it comes to more rigorous workouts. And pads? They could never.

I’ve tried numerous workouts while wearing my cup - yoga, barre, heavy strength training, HIIT - I’ve even done martial arts while wearing a cup (both jiu jitsu and kickboxing)! The cups are honestly so comfortable, you forget they’re even there. No leaks, no chafing, no slippage, nada.

Cups also offer a good bit more capacity than pads or tampons. I distinctly remember being in a jiu jitsu class during one period, wearing a tampon (pre-cups, of course) and having to run off to the bathroom not even halfway into class because of leakage issues. I have never had one of those moments with a menstrual cup.

There are disposable and re-usable cups, both options are more cost-effective than their counterparts. They’re also environmentally friendly, for my sustainable babes out there.

If you’re a little gun-shy about going cold turkey and ditching the old school options for a reusable cup, then you could try disposable cups as the in-between option. I can confidently say that once you try menstrual cups, in any shape, you’ll never go back.