Exercise and your cycle: working out smarter, not harder.
You may have noticed that there are periods in your cycle where finding the motivation to exercise feels like finding a needle in a haystack. You may also pleasantly surprise yourself some days when you finish a cardio sesh or pilates class feeling like the energizer bunny. These fitness challenges aren’t a reflection of whether you’re having a “lazy” day or not, they represent real feat that woman who cycle need to face head on when it comes to exercise. In this blog post, we’re going to explore the nitty gritty of how you can exercise to support your cycle AND use your cycle to develop a kick-ass workout schedule.
To sync your cycle with your fitness routine, you need to understand a few basic concepts. The female hormonal cycle follows a relatively predictable monthly pattern: a menstrual (bleeding) phase contained within the follicular phase (days 1-14) which leads up to ovulation (release of an egg from the ovaries) and then transitions into the luteal phase (days 15-28).
The Follicular Phase:
Between days 1-7 (more or less), you can expect the uterus to “shed” it’s lining, aka a period bleed thanks to super low levels estrogen and progesterone right before your cycle day 1. By day 3, we start to see estrogen rising steadily with testosterone on its heels until reaching a peak around ovulation. Estrogen is high in this phase to build the uterine lining in preparation for pregancy. Keep in mind that even though the menstrual bleed phase is nestled into the follicular phase, we will treat it as its own unique segment of the cycle with respect to exercise.
Ovulation:
For simplicity’s sake, we will assume a 28 day cycle so we can envision ovulation right in the middle at day 14. Ovulation is the event where the ovaries respond to peak estrogen levels by releasing an egg to either be fertilized and flourish for 9 months into a babe or regress and lead the cycle towards another bleed. Following ovulation, progesterone levels begin a steady incline to support the endometrial lining with or without a babe.
Luteal Phase:
The day following ovulation marks the beginning of the luteal phase (days 15-28). We see estrogen in lower amounts here than the follicular phase, but progesterone is the star of the show here. High progesterone levels support the endometrial lining that estrogen has worked so hard to build. Once the body recognizes that pregnancy was a no-go, both progesterone and estrogen will drop and complete the cycle to prompt another bleed.
Noted, now what about exercise?
Hormones can be a pain in the glutes, but they can evolve your workouts if you work with them rather than against them. Now that you understand how your hormones fluctuate throughout the month, your’re equipped to maximize your exercise experience.
Syncing exercise to your cycle 101:
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When you’re on your period, you may have a strained relationship with exercise. This is a period of time in your cycle where discomfort can present as low energy levels, bloating, and cramping to name a few. With respect to exercise, this is a phase in the cycle where I encourage you to show yourself some grace. Choose gentle exercise that compliments your energy levels here and reduces discomfort. That can look like: gentle stroll, stretching, yin yoga.
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You might find in the follicular phase, aka the time estrogen and testosterone start to steadily increase, your energy levels increase and you’re able to tolerate a little more intensity in your exercise. This is the perfect time in your cycle to incorporate high intensity interval training and some variation of weight training because recovery time is the shortest. Rising E and T levels in this cycle stage make it the best time to build muscle, so I encourage you to push yourself here if it feels good!
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Similar to the follicular phase, you may find higher energy levels at this stage of your cycle. In fact, this is where your hormones experience a peak. Choose movement here that gets your blood pumping and keeps your heart happy. This can look like the HIIT and weight training mentioned above or include things like cycling, dancing, running, pilates, power yoga/vinyasa or any active sport!
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The back half of the menstrual cycle that is no stranger to most women. Some women reliably notice a shift in energy levels, strength and motivation shortly after ovulation. The luteal phase introduces PMS or pre-menstrual symptoms that make it more difficult to get a good work out in. Ladies may feel bloated, irritable, fatigued and have a difficult time regulating their body temperature. Choosing low impact, low intensity exercises like yoga, barre, swimming, easy cycling and brisk walking here are encouraged. Try to kick it up a notch and focus on getting adequate hydration and electrolytes before a work out and choosing breathable workout gear that isn’t too constricting.
Keep in mind that it is most important to honour your body’s cues and choose movement to support it. This blog post is an educational piece, not an example of how you “should” be exercising. The most important take home message here: if you’re feeling super tired - don’t push yourself through an intense workout, and if you’re thriving on higher than normal energy - take advantage of it!
Exercise “Flow” Chart
Here’s a short breakdown of what exercise to choose at particular stages of your cycle.
