If you’ve ever suffered from chronic cramps around the onset of your period, you’ll know how miserable it can be. Sitting in bed, hunched over a hot water bottle with a crumpled packet of ibuprofen by your side is grim at the best of times – but no more so than in summer, when we’re more inclined to feel like we should be out in the sunshine living our best lives.

However, according to a new study, getting outside when it’s sunny could actually prove beneficial in reducing menstrual pain. The paper, published in the Journal of Endocrinology, reviewed research into the pain-relieving effects of vitamin D.

It was found that when combined with good quality sleep, getting enough vitamin D can help manage menstrual cramps, as well as other painful conditions including chronic back pain and arthritis. Otherwise known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, levels of vitamin D in our bodies increase when our bare skin is exposed to sunlight, or when we take supplements.

Getting out into the sunshine could help ease period pain, study suggests