What Makes Every Month Easier for Women

Women, listen up: More gym time could mean less hassle at your next gynecologist appointment. Compared with women who fit in less than 2 hours of physical activity a week, if you work out an hour each day (that includes walking time) it could cut your risk of uterine fibroids by 40%. That's pretty significant, since fibroids cause trouble in about 25% of premenopausal women. (As many as 75% of women have these growths, but they don't cause problems.)

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors (excess tissue) that develop in the wall of the uterus. Even though they're not cancerous, they can be troublemakers. Symptoms can involve fierce pain and heavy periods. Fibroids may contribute to infertility, and they're a leading cause of hysterectomies, though they don't have to be: There are other options -- including some that are far less invasive -- that aren't always offered to women. But that's a topic for another column.

You can't control most of the risk factors for uterine fibroids (such as being of African American descent, or simply being of childbearing age). But one thing other than daily physical activity seems to lower your risk: losing weight if you need to. However, neither gives you a free pass from routine gyno checkups. And you especially need to get there if you have unusually heavy periods (you need fresh protection as often as every hour), abdominal fullness or pressure, abnormal cramping during your period, or you need to use the bathroom more than usual -- not just to get away from the guys for a minute.