Strength training helpful for endometriosis?

How many people with endometriosis use Strength training to relieve their symptoms?

52,21% of people with endometriosis have already tried Strength training to relieve endometriosis in our survey.

6,70% of them find that Strength training very helpful.
The following table shows the endometriosis remedy Strength training among people with endometriosis. The scale ranges from 1 (not helpful at all) to 5 (very helpful).

Does Strength training help with endometriosis?

Strength training
(n = 910)
6,70%
13,08%
25,27%
20,77%
34,18%

Tabular summary for Strength training

Rating Percent Count
not helpful at all 34,18% 311
hardly helpful 20,77% 189
slightly helpful 25,27% 230
helpful 13,08% 119
very helpful 6,70% 61

Strength training bei Endometriose

It is hardly news that an active lifestyle can positively affect our mood. Regular exercise and movement are also popular tools among people with endometriosis to better cope with symptoms. Although a study showed that strength training specifically may lead to a reduction in pain tolerance in women with endometriosis, there are still women who experience an improvement in their symptoms precisely through this form of physical activity. As with all coping strategies, your own personal experience always counts here.

To target endometriosis-related symptoms, strengthening the back usually does no harm. Low mood due to the constant strain of a chronic illness is often already visible in our posture. Exercises that focus on strengthening the lumbar region and the upper back (keyword „rounded shoulders“) can help. However, you should always keep the opposing muscle groups, namely the abdominal and chest muscles, in mind. Unilateral strengthening usually does not lead to improvement. Another area closely linked with endometriosis is the pelvic floor. Contrary to what is often mistakenly assumed, incontinence and similar issues often do not stem from a pelvic floor that is too weak, but rather one that is too tight/overactive. Before you begin strengthening it properly, you should first learn how to relax it. A third aspect not to be neglected is your mental well-being. For some, really pushing yourself and working the muscles to a burn is a true stress reliever and can markedly lift your mood.

If you feel that strength training could be right for you, you can, for example, ask your physiotherapist or your gym for suitable exercises. Together, you could also develop a training plan adapted to your cycle. This helps you prevent overloading and, with it, further stressors.

Further sources:

  • De Moor M.H. et al. 2006. „Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: a population-based study.“ Preventive Medicine 42(4):273-279.
  • Poli-Neto, O.B. et al. 2020. Strength Exercise Has Different Effects on Pressure Pain Thresholds in Women with Endometriosis-Related Symptoms and Healthy Controls: A Quasi-experimental Study.“ Pain Medicine 21(10): 2280-2287.

Did you know that you can also have a big influence on endometriosis symptoms yourself? In the Endo App you learn self-management techniques for endometriosis and find many interactive exercises to relieve symptoms.