

“If you don’t have time to shower, keep a travel pack of vaginal hygiene wipes in your gym bag to use after working out,” suggests Dr. To keep your pH balanced while you maintain your balance on the bike or barre, remember to change out of sweaty clothes soon after you complete your workout-or, better yet, seek out gyms and studios that have showers so you can rinse off before carrying on with your day. “The vagina is usually able to control its own pH, but in those times when you’re possibly starting a new workout regimen or experiencing significant changes in temperature, it can be more difficult for the ecosystem to maintain its balance.” “The normal pH of the vagina is around 4.0 or more on the acidic side, and things like semen, blood, antibiotics and possibly extended workouts can cause the vaginal pH to shift to a more alkaline pH and cause infections like bacterial vaginosis and yeast,” Shawn Tassone, Ph.D., a board-certified OB/GYN and integrative medicine doctor says. Here’s what top OB/GYNs want you to know about staying healthy down there during class. “Heat and moisture are catalysts for yeast, so if a woman works out and sweats and leaves her workout clothes on for an extended period of time, this can cause yeast to begin to grow.”īut the good news is that there are plenty of ways to stay healthy while you get your sweat sesh on.

“When working out, the main culprit for causing problems down below is the heat and moisture that’s trapped when we our glands release sweat and our pores expand,” Sherry Ross, MD, an OB/GYN at Providence Saint John’s Health Center says. In fact, women who work out frequently are at a higher risk for vaginal infections and discomfort than those who don’t exercise often. While you already know that working out is essential for your overall health, did you know that it can have an impact on your feminine health, too? And nope, we’re not just talking about ‘down there’: the first thing to know is that exercise isn’t always easy on our lady bits.
