Yoga for cramps

Rolling around on a mat might be the last thing you feel like doing with cramps. But gentle movement is one of the NHS's suggested self-help steps for period pain, and yoga is a lovely low-key way to do it.

A 2018 review of 14 studies (8 trials and 6 other studies) found yoga was linked to less pain and a better quality of life for people with dysmenorrhoea. The studies were mostly small and of moderate quality, so the authors called the results preliminary. The Cochrane review of exercise for period pain also counted low-intensity exercise such as yoga. Promising, not magic.

Poses to try

• Child's pose: knees wide, forehead down, arms forward or by your sides. Breathe into your back.
• Cat-cow: on all fours, slowly arch and round your back.
• Supine twist: lie on your back, drop both knees to one side, then the other.
• Reclined butterfly: lie back, soles of feet together, knees falling open. Pop cushions under your knees.
• Legs up the wall: rest your legs up a wall and just breathe.

Not on the floor? The NHS has free pilates and yoga videos, including beginner and chair-based sessions. Seated or lying-down versions count just as much.