Here is the Best Exercise When You Have Fibroids

This article was medically authored by Dr. William Fox and was last reviewed for accuracy on 07/13/2026.

What is the best exercise when you have fibroids?  Ideally, you will engage in low-impact forms of movement that avoid placing pressure on your uterus. Instead, choose activities that can help with weight-management and hormone regulation, improve blood flow, and help with pain management as you explore fibroid treatment options.

Key Takeaways

• Cardiovascular workouts are the best exercise when you have fibroids, with walking and swimming being the best options
• Running can be challenging for some women with fibroids
• Avoid high-impact workouts and heavy weight lifting as these exercises can worsen fibroid symptoms

The Best Exercise When You Have Fibroids

Engaging in cardiovascular exercise is important when you have fibroids, since women with these tumors have an increased risk for heart disease, according to this research. Great choices include walking or lightly jogging, as well as swimming, since they support heart health without the type of impact that may worsen pelvic pain or other fibroid symptoms.

Cardio is also one of the best exercises when you have fibroids because it can support weight loss. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the daily impact of fibroids, since fat cells store and manufacture excess estrogen. (This hormone has been linked to fibroid growth.)

Exercise and Fibroids: Other Workouts to Try

While cardiovascular workouts are the best exercise when you have fibroids, other forms of exercise can be important, too. While we suggested swimming to help manage fibroid symptoms, if you’re dealing with heavy bleeding during menstruation, the pool may not feel like a great place to exercise.

Where can you go instead? Try the yoga studio. First, engaging in a yoga practice can help you manage stress and pain, reducing the emotional toll of fibroids. Additionally, several yoga poses can specifically relieve back pain and pelvic pain, common symptoms for women with these uterine tumors. (Check out these yoga poses for fibroids relief if you need some studio inspiration.)

Finally, we’d like you to follow safety protocols with any workout you try, especially if you’re new to exercise. Always be sure to:

1.       Ease into new routines, slowly increasing the intensity, duration or frequency of your workout, even if it’s the best exercise when you have fibroids.

2.        Engage in cross-training, working different muscle groups on different days so you can prevent overuse injuries. And when you’re engaging in cardio like walking or swimming, try to take your workout outdoors for a dose of Vitamin D. (Avoid Vitamin D deficiency can help reduce your fibroid risk.)

3.      Always clear new workout routines with a trusted healthcare provider to make sure that it’s safe for you to engage in this form of exercise.

Workouts to Avoid with Fibroids

Now that you know the best exercise when you have fibroids, we want to highlight workouts that may worsen fibroid symptoms. These include exercises like crunches or sit-ups, since they put pressure on your stomach. They could also press against your fibroids, worsening pelvic pain. Instead, try to tone your abs with moves like planks that don’t press against your fibroids.

Another workout to avoid? Heavy weight lifting, since this can put excess pressure on your lower body. It can also push more blood into your pelvis, possibly increasing the supply feeding fibroids and resulting in tumor growth.  

Finally, high-intensity interval training may be something to avoid with fibroids. If you’re experiencing heavy menstrual flow and/or anemia, your body may be in a weakened state. In that case, you could burn out if you try a workout that’s too intense. Instead, we suggest focusing on exercises that can make you feel better with fibroids—or at least make your symptoms more manageable.

Is Running the Best Exercise When You Have Fibroids?

As we mentioned earlier, cardiovascular exercise is important for women with uterine fibroids. And, most women can choose to enjoy running, even with fibroids. But if fibroids and frequent urination are a problem, you may find it difficult to go for a long run, since you’ll need to pee more often. Also, if you have heavy periods, you might need to change your tampon during a long training session. Or, you could just be too fatigued due to blood loss and anemia. As a result, running could be too tough for women with untreated fibroids, so you may prefer some of the other options highlighted above.

Tired of planning your workouts around your fibroids? Want to workout when and how you want, without worrying about the best exercise when you have fibroids? We’re here to help! Contact the Texas Endovascular team to Schedule an Appointment request a consultation Schedule an Appointment at one of our seven regional Houston and Dallas locations. When you’re seen in one of our offices, we can review your candidacy for UFE, a non-surgical treatment that shrinks your fibroid tumors.