--- title: 'Moving With Endometriosis: What Helps and What to Avoid' slug: moving-with-endometriosis-what-helps-and-what-to-avoid lifeStage: cycle category: Movement medicalReviewer: 'Dr Clare Bourne, Consultant Pelvic and Digestive Health Physiotherapist' reviewerId: 'https://blog.bloume.com/cycle/medical-board.md#clare-bourne' lastUpdated: '2026-08-08' primarySource: 'What are somatic workouts?' wordCount: 1182 readTimeInSeconds: 295.5 --- # Moving With Endometriosis: What Helps and What to Avoid If you have endometriosis, deciding whether to exercise can feel genuinely hard. Movement sometimes eases symptoms and sometimes makes them worse, and general fitness advice rarely accounts for that. This article covers the kinds of movement that tend to feel more manageable, how to approach your pelvic floor safely, how to adjust around a flare and between flares, and when working with a pelvic health physiotherapist can make a real difference. **Q: Is it safe to exercise during an endometriosis flare?** A: During a flare, gentle movement like light stretching or supported resting positions usually suits you better than keeping to your usual routine. It helps to ease off the intensity and notice how your body responds rather than pushing through. If you are not sure what level of activity is right for your situation, speak to your GP or specialist. Some days, moving your body brings relief from the ache and heaviness that endometriosis can bring. Other days, the same activity leaves you hurting more than before. That inconsistency is real, and it means general advice about staying active rarely fits. Exercise with endometriosis is genuinely more complicated than most fitness guidance suggests. ## The kinds of movement that tend to feel better Gentle, low-impact movement tends to sit better than high-intensity or high-impact activity. Walking, swimming, gentle yoga, and Pilates are often easier to manage. They let you keep moving without putting heavy demand on your pelvis and abdomen, where endometriosis tends to cause the most pain. What you can manage varies a lot, though. Something that feels fine one day may not suit the next, so treat any list of suggested activities as a starting point rather than a fixed safe set. ## Gentle somatic movement in practice Somatic movement keeps the focus on what you feel inside rather than on performance. In practice, it can look like slow, guided stretching where you notice what each position feels like in your body rather than how far you can reach. It includes things like gentle spinal rocking, supported hip opening, and breathing that engages the diaphragm, so your belly rises gently with each breath in. This kind of movement stays with release and ease rather than effort or range. You may find it a useful way to stay connected to your body without adding to pain levels. ## Pelvic floor awareness with endometriosis The behaviour of your pelvic floor, the group of muscles that sit at the base of your pelvis, is often affected by endometriosis, and that can add to pain and make things harder day to day. One common pattern is increased tone, which means excessive muscle tension. The muscles are held tight rather than relaxed, and that can feed the pain you feel during everyday activity, during sex, or with bladder and bowel symptoms. This matters because the usual advice to do pelvic floor exercises, like Kegels (repeatedly squeezing and lifting the pelvic floor), can make things worse if your muscles are already overactive. If that is the case for you, relaxation often helps more than further strengthening. > **WARNING**: It is worth speaking to a pelvic health physiotherapist before you start pelvic floor exercises, or before you stop any you are already doing. They can check whether your muscles are over-tense or under-active and guide you from there. ## Adjusting movement around a flare Endometriosis symptoms shift from day to day and week to week. Adjusting how much you do to match how you feel is a big part of moving with the condition. During a flare, when pain and fatigue are at their worst, gentle stretching or rest tends to suit you better than keeping to your usual routine. Simple supported positions can help, like lying on your back with your knees drawn gently to your chest, or lying on your side curled up. These may ease things without adding more demand on your body. Between flares, when symptoms settle, you may find you can add in more moderate activity, like a longer walk or a gentle Pilates session. The aim is to build on what feels manageable that day. > **INFO**: If your symptoms are severe, or you are not sure how much activity suits your situation, speak to your GP or specialist before making big changes to how much you do. ## Movement that tends to worsen symptoms High-impact activity, like running on hard surfaces, jumping, or heavy lifting, can make pelvic pain worse during or after the session, especially mid-cycle or in a flare. Core work that puts strong pressure on your abdomen, like full sit-ups or hard crunches, can also feel uncomfortable, and may be worth leaving until you have guidance from a physiotherapist. Yoga poses with deep, forceful inversions or strong abdominal compression, like certain twists held at full stretch, are worth approaching carefully. Gentle, restorative yoga has a different feel from vigorous Vinyasa or Ashtanga styles. If you practise yoga, a restorative or yin style often sits better when your symptoms are higher. ## How gentle movement can help Movement does not cure endometriosis, and it does not change the condition itself. Staying gently active may still help you manage symptoms. Gentle movement can lift your mood, ease muscle tension, and help your body keep functioning on your journey with endometriosis. ## When to work with a pelvic health physiotherapist A physiotherapist with specialist training in pelvic health can assess and support the physical, musculoskeletal side of endometriosis. That covers pain during or after sex, bladder or bowel symptoms like urgency or pain, and pelvic floor muscle tension. These are parts of the condition that general exercise advice cannot safely cover on its own. You can ask your GP to refer you to a pelvic health physiotherapist on the NHS. Waiting times vary by area, and some people choose to see a private physiotherapist in the meantime. Either way, an assessment gives you a movement plan built around your body and your symptom pattern, rather than general advice. > **INFO**: This article is for information only and is not medical advice. If you have concerns about your symptoms or how much you are doing, speak to your GP or specialist. --- **Q: Is it safe to exercise during an endometriosis flare?** During a flare, gentle movement like light stretching or supported resting positions usually suits you better than keeping to your usual routine. It helps to ease off the intensity and notice how your body responds rather than pushing through. If you are not sure what level of activity is right for your situation, speak to your GP or specialist. **Q: Should I do pelvic floor exercises if I have endometriosis?** Not necessarily, and it is worth getting guidance first. Endometriosis often affects the pelvic floor muscles, and a common pattern is increased tone, where the muscles carry too much tension. In that case, standard strengthening exercises like Kegels may make things worse. A pelvic health physiotherapist can check whether your muscles need relaxation work, strengthening, or a mix of both, and advise from there. **Q: How do I ask my GP for a referral to a pelvic health physiotherapist?** At your next GP appointment, you can ask directly for a referral to a pelvic health physiotherapist. It helps to mention the symptoms you want support with, like pelvic pain, pain during or after sex, or bladder or bowel discomfort. NHS referral pathways are available, though waiting times vary by area. Your GP can tell you what is available locally and what the next steps would be. **Q: What types of exercise are generally better tolerated with endometriosis?** Walking, swimming, gentle yoga, and Pilates are often easier to manage than high-impact or high-intensity activity. They tend to put less demand on your pelvis and abdomen. What works can still vary, and something that feels fine one day may not suit the next. Building up gently and noting how your body responds over time tells you more than following a fixed programme. ### Clinical Sources - [What are somatic workouts?](https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/what-are-somatic-workouts) - [What are the best exercises for endometriosis?](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/endometriosis-exercise) - [endometriosis-uk.org](https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/sites/default/files/files/Pelvic%20Exercise%20Programme.pdf) - [endometriosisnetwork.com](https://endometriosisnetwork.com/endo-hub/pelvic-health-physiotherapy-a-guide-for-people-with-endometriosis/) - [endometriosisnetwork.com](https://endometriosisnetwork.com/endo-hub/pelvic-health-physiotherapy-a-guide-for-people-with-endometriosis/) - [exerciseismedicine.org.au](https://exerciseismedicine.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EIM-FactSheet_Endometriosis_Professional_2021.pdf) - [exerciseismedicine.org.au](https://exerciseismedicine.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EIM-FactSheet_Endometriosis_Professional_2021.pdf) - [exerciseismedicine.org.au](https://exerciseismedicine.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EIM-FactSheet_Endometriosis_Professional_2021.pdf) - [endometriosisnetwork.com](https://endometriosisnetwork.com/endo-hub/pelvic-health-physiotherapy-a-guide-for-people-with-endometriosis/) --- Reviewed by Dr Clare Bourne, Consultant Pelvic and Digestive Health Physiotherapist | [Medical Board](https://blog.bloume.com/cycle/medical-board.md) | August 2026