Aerobic Exercise for Primary Dysmenorrhea
Primary Dysmenorrhea
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Primary Dysmenorrhea focused on measuring Dysmenorrhea, Primary dysmenorrhea, Pain, Absenteeism, Academic performance
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- women in the age group of 18-24 years old;
- non-pregnant;
- having regular menstrual cycles with cycle lengths between 24 and 30 days;
- experiencing an average menstrual pain intensity equal to or greater than 5 on a 0-10 Numerical Rating Scale; and
- scoring low (< 600 metabolic equivalent tasks [MET]/week) on the short-form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.
Exclusion Criteria:
- women using oral contraceptive pills, hormonal therapy, or intrauterine devices;
- women using over-the counter analgesics during menstruation to treat dysmenorrhea-associated pain and experience no pain relief with those analgesics; and
- women participating in any formal exercise programme
Sites / Locations
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
High-intensity aerobic training (HIAT)
Wait-list control (WLC)
Women will perform treadmill-based aerobic exercise for three days a week, at 70%-85% of MHR for 30 minutes and perceived exertion of 14-16, based on the Borg RPE scale. This range39 is considered to represent HIAT. Aerobic training will be preceded by warm-up exercises for 10 minutes and followed by cool-down exercises for 10 minutes, at a perceived exertion of 11.0 (Borg RPE).
Women in the wait-list control group will be instructed to continue with their usual activities and manage their pain as normal (i.e., with analgesics).