It turns out there are a lot of things you can’t do on your period.
Lucky for fitness blogger Malin Olofsson, exercising is not one of them.
But that doesn’t mean that pesky, once-a-month visitor doesn’t try and come along and ruin everything. Not only will it try and disrupt your workout, but it will bring with it a whole bunch of uncomfortable, and at times, unsightly PMS friends.
The fitness blogger shared an inspiring photo on her Instagram, letting women all over the world know that they aren't alone when it comes to dealing with all that comes with having your period.
The image is of Malin's stomach, which is bloated due to PMS.
"Some of you experience and go through this yourself once a month. Some of you will be disgusted. Some of you will sigh with relief and think - OMG I'm not alone. Some of you will not read this caption and presume that I'm pregnant, " she wrote.
"This is the visual signs of PMS for me and many other women. For some it's less extreme, for some it's more."
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She writes that water retention is "a very normal and common symptom of PMS, and that is "nothing to be ashamed of."
"Yes - it is very uncomfortable, and yes - it is really difficult to not feel like you must hide it and try to suck your stomach in," she wrote.
"I've stopped."
Malin, who writes in her Instagram bio that she has recovered after battling anorexia for 15 years, also said she is no longer ashamed of her body's normal reaction to hormonal change every month.
"Because when I have PMS, I already feel like dying. And I've decided to love my body no matter how I feel about life."
She also has a message for other women who may resent their body for one week out of every month: "Do not blame your body for how you're feeling. It is never your body's fault."
"Your body might experience discomfort due to hormonal changes - so instead of making it worse through shaming your body, try doing the opposite," she wrote.
"Realise that this is when you need extra self-care and self-love. Realise that you don't have to be ashamed and hide.
"You are perfect and your body is just doing it's job."
Top Comments
I feel very fortunate that i never had any of these symptoms and during that time of the month I would actually forget about it right in the middle of it.