For many women, exercise starts out as a way to improve your health. But somewhere along the way, it can become something we feel we have to do rather than something we truly enjoy. I know this becasue it happned to me...
It starts out as a way to get active, build confidience, and improve your health. Then for some, like most of us in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, it can turn into obsession.
Skipping a workout brings guilt. Rest days create anxiety. Illness, injury, or vacations feel stressful because they mean moving less. We become 'good' at ignoring our body when it is screaming for rest because we think we are being disciplined.
And despite doing “everything right,” despite exercising more than the average person, and despite eating 'clean,' your period disappears. Interesting...
It can't be the exercise right?? Because exercise is so GOOD for you!
This is a conversation that isn’t talked about enough. While of course exercise is health promoting, to a certain degree. When does it stop being good for you?
One of the most common causes of Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) is low energy availability—a mismatch between the energy your body takes in and the energy it expends. While exercise itself isn’t necessarily the problem, excessive training without adequate fuel can be. This signals to the brain that the body isn’t in a safe environment to support reproduction.
When this happens, the brain reduces the production of reproductive hormones, ovulation stops, and your period disappears. This isn’t your body being "unfair" it’s your body adapting to what it perceives as a state of chronic stress.
The difficult part is that many women with HA are praised for their discipline reagurding exercise. They’re often seen as the “healthy” ones—the ones who never miss a workout, always eat clean, and have incredible self-control. But beneath the surface, that relentless drive to always be perfect health wise, can come at the expense of hormonal health.
Exercise Addiction May Not Look How You Expect
Exercise addiction isnt always about how many hours you spend in the gym. It’s about your relationship with movement.
It can look like not being able to stop thinking about exercise. Counting down the minutes until you can walk or lift weights again. It can look like feeling an uncontrollable urge to be moving in some capacity at all times.
If missing a workout causes significant anxiety, if you exercise to “earn” food, or if you continue training despite injury, exhaustion, or the loss of your period, it may be worth taking an honest look at whether exercise has become compulsive rather than supportive.
You Dont Need Another Workout - You Need to Let Yourself Rest
Recovering from HA often means redefining what health truly looks like. Sometimes the healthiest choice isn’t pushing harder—it’s resting. It’s eating enough to support your body’s needs. It’s recognizing that your worth isn’t measured by calories burned or workouts completed.
Your period is a vital sign, it’s a reflection of your body’s overall well being. If exercise has cost you your period, your body definitley isn’t trying to tell you to do more pilates classes.
Healing from HA often begins when we stop viewing rest as weakness and start seeing it as an essential part of health. Sometimes, the strongest thing you can do is give your body permission to recover.
If you are ready to restore your period and heal your relationship with exercsie and food- I'm ready to help get you there!
Use the "Book Now" tab in the top right corner to book your FREE discovery call today.
Rebecca Pinho
Contact Me
