New research has found that the right exercise can reduce pain for women suffering from endometriosis.
A study of more than 200 women showed a “clear relationship” between how much women were exercising and positive markers of health
Endometriosis is a chronic, often painful, disease where tissue similar to the uterus lining grows outside it.
An estimated one in seven Australian women are living with the condition, which is linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, fatigue, anxiety and depression.
Accredited Exercise Physiologist Danielle Girard, a senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide, said the research was undertaken to address a lack of data on the effects of exercise as a complementary treatment for endometriosis.
“One reason why there isn’t much research is that women with endometriosis can be fearful of exercising, because they don’t want to exacerbate pain and other symptoms,” Dr Girard said.
“Clinicians who might not be exercise specialists are concerned about that too.”
The nationwide survey, conducted by researchers from Adelaide University and Charles Sturt University, found exercise duration “positively correlated” with quality-of-life markers for women with endometriosis, including less pain and improved mental health.
Dr Girard said exercise was effective in reducing oestrogen, which was a driver of endometriosis-related symptoms.
“If someone has experienced an exacerbation of pain with higher-intensity exercise, even starting off with stretching activities will have multiple benefits, including mood enhancement and the release of muscle tightness,” she said.
“Women with endometriosis quite often end up in protective body positions, and that means that they end up with tight hips, back and shoulders, so doing gentle release work can be beneficial.”
Dr Girard said that, while recent studies pointed to the importance of exercise duration to get results, even short 10-15 sessions of gentle exercise like stretching, walking or swimming could improve mood and sleep quality while reducing stress, fatigue and pain levels.
“Exercise may have a positive effect on inflammation which can be protective in reducing risk of other serious health conditions including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease,” she said.
“We think about endometriosis in terms of being a gynaecological condition, but it’s really systemic so all systems of the body are impacted.”
Tegan McKenna, who was first diagnosed with endometriosis 12 years ago, said she had stumbled across Dr Girard’s work while looking for alternative options to cope with her pain.
“A lot of the standard forms of exercise weren’t working for me, like cross fit for example.” she said. “That high intensity exercise I found just made my symptoms significantly worse – it was just too inflammatory for my body.”
Ms McKenna said working with exercise physiologists had given her the tools to “find a way to move my body” and that had improved her quality of life.
“I don’t run for 20 minutes, but I can walk for an hour. I’ll do strength or weight training three times a week rather than high-intensity training because it doesn’t agree with my body,” she said.
The study findings will be presented at the Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) Activate Conference in Adelaide on May 1, 2026.
