Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a combination of physical, psychological, or behavioral changes in the late secretary phase of menstrual cycle and interferes with interpersonal relationships or activities. The purpose was to assess the effects of 8 weeks of regular aerobic exercise on PMS in non-athlete girls.
Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 40 non-athlete girl students aged 18-25 years at Khorasgan Azad University, with a diagnosis of PMS. The instruments included personal information and a medical questionnaire, a form of premenstrual symptoms DSM-IV, the GHQ 28 questionnaire, and the Beck Depression and Anxiety questionnaire, and also, daily symptoms were recorded for 4 months (two courses before the training period and two during training). Individuals in the experimental group practiced aerobic exercise for 8 weeks, three sessions per week for 60 min. The subjects were evaluated during the first (the pre-test), second (the mid-test), and third menstrual period (the post-test). Statistical analysis used in this study is t-test and repeated measurement analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Results: Results showed that the mean scores of PMS and symptoms declined after 8 weeks of training in the experimental group. The comparison of the two groups showed that the mean scores of PMS, for symptoms during and after exercise, were significantly different (P ≤ 0.001) and the percentages of scores PMS changes, physical, and psychological symptoms of experimental and control groups had a significant difference (P ≤ 0.001) after 8 weeks of training.
Conclusions: Overall, the findings showed that 8 weeks of aerobic exercise is effective in reducing the symptoms of PMS and can be used as a treatment.
Keywords: Aerobic exercise; Iran; non-athlete girls; premenstrual syndrome.