Effects of Somatic Movement Therapy vs Core Strengthening in Premenstrual Syndrome

Participants allocated to Group A will receive a structured Somatic Movement Therapy (SMT) program specifically designed to manage the physiological and psychological manifestations of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Each session will begin with a centering and breath awareness phase lasting 5 to 10 minutes, wherein diaphragmatic breathing is emphasized to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce sympathetic overdrive commonly observed in PMS. It is followed by 15 to 20 minutes of gentle somatic movements. The session then transitions to a body scan and proprioception segment (5-10 minutes), which includes guided internal sensing of different body parts and their spatial orientation, supported by verbal cues or tactile prompts. The session ends by mindfulness and relaxation period (10-15 minutes) adding guided visualization, body integration or meditative stillness.

Participants in Group B will engage in a progressive Core Strengthening. The sessions will begin with a 5-10-minute warm-up period, which will include low-intensity aerobic activities, dynamic stretching, and simple joint mobilization exercises. The main activation step will take around 25-30 minutes and consist of guided exercises like abdominal bracing exercises, bridges, planks, and bird-dog variations. The progression will be systematic and start with simple exercises of control bases in week 1-2, then add a challenge by adding movements such as side planks, heel slides, and leg raises in week 3-6. As the participants adapt to he regimen, endurance-oriented movements such as bicycle crunches and superman holds will be incorporated during weeks 4-5 to enhance core stability under fatigue. Every session will be concluded by a recovery time (5-10 minutes). It will consist of four 45-minute sessions per week, 3 times per week, and 6 weeks, totaling 18 sessions per subject.