Why Does My Tampon Feel Like It’s Going to Shoot Out of Me Like a Rocket When I Exercise on My Period?

If you’re an individual with a interval and a penchant for train, odds are you’ve questioned: Are there any dangers to understanding with a tampon?

The quick reply is that it’s secure to train with a tampon in, and it shouldn’t fall out—so long as you insert the tampon accurately and swap it out typically sufficient, that’s. In any other case, there are uncommon situations when the menstrual product might shoot out of your coochie sooner than soda out of a Coca-Cola bottle throughout a baking soda experiment.

We spoke to a group of obstetrics-gynecology and pelvic flooring specialists to reply your questions on carrying a tampon whilst you train. Forward, what each particular person with a month-to-month fitness center membership and menstrual cycle must know.

First up: Is it secure to put on a tampon whilst you train?

This previous summer time, fear-mongering headlines about “toxins” in tampons have been as rampant as lime inexperienced manicures (case and level), main many individuals with durations to surprise if their go-to menstrual product is secure to put on in or out of the fitness center. Regardless of clickbait on the contrary, “tampons are secure,” says double board-certified obstetrics-gynecologist and urogynecologist Aldene Zeno MD, FACOG, proprietor of and surgeon at Essence Well being and Urogynecology in Los Angeles.

An August 2024 research¹ printed in Surroundings Worldwide reported hint quantities of arsenic, lead, mercury, nickel, copper, and iron in tampons. Nevertheless, “issues concerning the quantity of poisons discovered have been exaggerated by the media,” says licensed psychologist and AASECT-certified intercourse therapist Shannon Chavez, PsyD, CST.

The degrees of those metals measured within the 24 examined tampons have been minuscule. “The quantity of hint metals discovered within the tampons is a fraction of what’s permitted by the Environmental Safety Company,” says Dr. Zeno. To not point out, the degrees aren’t increased than the hint quantities of metals present in our faucet water, bottled water, inexperienced and black tea, most meals, and even our air, she says.

“This research additionally did not check for the flexibility of those metals to leach into the physique’s circulation, and in line with the research authors, no research have assessed danger of vaginal publicity to metals,” says Dr. Zeno. Which means, there isn’t any proof that the chemical compounds truly make their method into your system by way of your vagina.

All that stated, “sure, it’s secure to train whereas carrying a tampon,” says Dr. Chavez. So far, there isn’t any scientific proof suggesting any danger from carrying one throughout train, she says. Past simply being secure, when worn accurately, tampons might help a person really feel safe, low-stress, and supported whereas exercising, says Dr. Chavez. That is necessary as a result of “the advantages of train whereas menstruating are well-documented²,” says Dr. Zeno.

Fears of your tampon security or safety shouldn’t maintain you from the fitness center.

So… can a tampon fall out throughout train?

No, it shouldn’t. “Tampons are designed to remain in place when your physique strikes, together with throughout intense motion and train,” says Dr. Chavez. So, whether or not you’re lifting weights or doing cardio, understanding on land or in water, at low or excessive intensities, your tampon ought to keep put, she says.

That stated, there are just a few uncommon situations when a tampon might fall out throughout train. Listed below are 4 causes a tampon might fall out whilst you train.

1. The tampon isn’t inserted accurately

The commonest purpose for a tampon to fall out throughout train is that it wasn’t inserted accurately, in line with Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a pelvic flooring therapist who focuses on incontinence and dyspareunia and the founding father of Fusion Wellness & Bodily Remedy in Los Angeles.

When inserted correctly, a tampon will relaxation within the higher third portion of the vaginal cavity in order that the highest finish of the product is close to the cervix, says Dr. Zeno. “The vagina is formed like an upside-down hockey stick, so this high portion of the vaginal canal is definitely at a 45-degree angle to the ground when in a standing place, which helps maintain it in place,” she explains. With that, “not inserting the tampon applicator deep sufficient into the vaginal canal earlier than utilizing the plunger to push it within your physique could lead on the tampon to fall out throughout train,” says Dr. Jeffcoat.

The excellent news: When a tampon is positioned too low, you’ll be capable of really feel it, because the decrease third is way more delicate, says Dr. Zeno.“When it’s in the fitting place, you’ll be able to’t really feel it in any respect.”

2. The tampon is just too saturated

Usually, tampons enlarge once they soak up fluid, which truly helps them keep in place, in line with Dr. Zeno. Nevertheless, in the event that they turn out to be overly saturated, they’ll shift or fall out, she says.

To be clear, that doesn’t imply that you want to forgo train altogether in case your circulation is heavier than Ilona Maher’s deadlift. However “it’s possible you’ll not be capable of take part in an prolonged period of train with out stopping to interchange your tampon as a consequence of saturation,” says Dr. Jeffcoat.

If stopping to interchange and eliminate your tampon mid-workout isn’t possible for you—as an illustration, since you’re an endurance occasion athlete going for gold—you would possibly contemplate a menstrual cup or interval panties, which might maintain 3 to 12 occasions greater than a daily tampon, respectively.

3. You might have an underlying pelvic flooring situation

The pelvic flooring muscle groups are a posh community of muscle groups on the base of the pelvis that assist bladder, uterus, vagina, and bowel (pelvic organs) placement and performance. When these muscle groups are functioning optimally, they’ll contract and loosen up very like every other muscle within the physique. However when there’s an underlying situation, tampon placement, location, and safety can all be affected.

Having overactive pelvic flooring muscle groups—which basically means having pelvic flooring muscle groups which are “locked” right into a contracted place—could make inserting a tampon troublesome, says Dr. Jeffcoat. Attributable to issues like persistent stress, pelvic flooring harm, or trauma (e.g., following childbirth or a automotive accident), habitually poor posture, or one other pain-causing situation (e.g., endometriosis), having overactive muscle groups can lead people to position the tampon within the front-half of the vagina, which might result in expulsion, she explains.

Pelvic flooring muscle weak spot may also lead tampons to fall out, in line with Dr. Chavez. Normally, when that is the underlying trigger, a person will expertise extra signs equivalent to leaking urine, issue controlling the bladder, or a sense of heaviness within the pelvis, says Dr. Chavez.

In each instances, working with a pelvic flooring therapist might help. Possible, they are going to counsel a sequence of at-home pelvic flooring workouts and diaphragmatic respiratory, which might assist muscle tone and enhance consolation with utilizing a tampon throughout train, says Dr. Chavez.

4. You’re bearing down whilst you raise

From higher stability to boosted bone well being, higher confidence to improved cardiovascular operate, there’s little question that energy coaching provides tons of well being advantages. Sadly, lifting with improper kind can quick you of these perks—and, sure, in sure situations, even trigger your tampon to fall out.

Whether or not you’re bleeding or not, one of many riskiest issues to do whereas lifting heavy weights is to bear down, or forcefully contract your belly, diaphragm, and pelvic flooring muscle groups whereas holding your breath. This places undue stress in your again and pelvic flooring muscle groups and by the way trigger your tampon to shoot out, says Dr. Zeno. (FYI: The stress attributable to bearing down may even result in hemorrhoids and anal fissures).

Broadly talking, relatively than bearing down whilst you raise, specialists counsel bracing your core. This lets you have interaction all of these muscle groups and defend your backbone with out compromising your again, pelvic flooring, or tampon place. As a result of bracing your midline whilst you raise requires advanced coordinated muscle actions, Dr. Zeno recommends working with a health skilled to learn to raise accurately. “I extremely suggest working with pelvic physiotherapists in the event you’re experiencing tampons falling out whilst you raise,” she says.

“I extremely suggest working with pelvic physiotherapists in the event you’reexperiencing tampons falling out whilst you raise.” —Aldene Zeno, MD, FACOG

Do I ever must keep away from exercising whereas carrying a tampon?

Fears of your tampon security or safety shouldn’t maintain you from the fitness center. Nevertheless, there are occasions when your menstrual signs can (or ought to!) sideline you out of your exercise, in line with says board-certified obstetrics-gynecologist Sherry A. Ross, MD, FACOG, co-founder of Oneself & the Ladies’s Well being & Wellness Faculty on the Mproov app and writer of She-ology and The She-quel.

Whereas exercising in your interval can normally assist signs, in the event you’re experiencing breast tenderness, complications, painful cramps, or your circulation is heavy and also you’re passing clots, it’s necessary to take heed to your physique, she says. In the meantime, it may be downright harmful in case your interval is inflicting you to really feel weak, drained, nauseous, or dizzy, as exercising safely requires power, stability, and focus, she says.

The takeaway

On the finish of the day, there isn’t a purpose to keep away from exercising whereas carrying a tampon as doing so is secure, and the chance of expulsion is sort of low. Simply remember to insert the tampon correctly and alter it repeatedly. When you’re fighting tampon ejection, seek the advice of a pelvic flooring therapist who might help suss out any underlying dysfunction, in addition to counsel pelvic flooring workouts and stretches, and different life-style interventions that may enable you.