Have you noticed that some days you’re crushing it with your workouts and other days you’re struggling to motivate yourself?
There is now (thankfully) a growing awareness and acceptance of the impact our cyclical hormonal changes have on our bodies and exercise. Research has shown that there are ways we can optimize and sync our workouts to the different phases of our cycle.
One of the overarching things to consider is stress. Our hormones are very sensitive to stress. If our body endures too much stress it will begin to down-regulate healthy progesterone and estrogen production. Exercising too hard at the wrong time in our cycle is a recipe for hormonal imbalance, delayed or disrupted ovulation, missed periods and PMS.
This example graph below shows how to split the cycle into four phases within Menstrual Cycle Awareness work. You can see in the first half estrogen is dominant and in the second half progesterone is dominant.
So what kind of exercise & movement is recommended during these four different phases of the menstrual cycle? I’ve done some extensive research (and experimented with my own menstrual cycle) over some years and found the below helpful.
Note: Always listen to your body and remember: your experience of your cycle trumps anything anyone else says. Your body is the ultimate authority here. So listen to your body’s signals — whether she’s telling you to take it easy or go for it. Because she is wise and is your best guide.
Menstruation / Inner Winter
Focus: Nourish and restore
Try: Relaxing walks, gentle body movement, restorative yoga
Our bodies go through a lot when we bleed — we are shedding our endometrial lining which undergoes extensive remodeling every menstrual cycle. It’s a (normal) inflammatory process that involves tissue injury and restoration. So it’s also a normal thing to want to take it easier in this phase. This of course depends on how menstruation shows up for you. Some have a more difficult time with it than others.
I recommend taking it easier on the heaviest days of bleed (usually day 1 or 2). My preference here is to not workout, but instead, take advantage of the body’s natural yin energy and focus on resting, releasing and surrendering to my bleed. I find it easier to sleep deeply during this phase so it can be a lovely time to catch up on some zzz’s.
Gentle movements like hip circles or cat/cow and taking relaxing walks can feel good. In addition to the physical release, menstruation is a time of emotional and spiritual release so embodiment & mindfulness practices are particularly potent in this time.
Around day 3 or 4, you can try adding more gentle movement like movement to music and restorative yoga. The most important thing is to listen to how your body feels.
Note that our hormones are quite flat during this phase which can make it a stable time physiologically and some athletes find they train & perform well during this time.
Preovulation / Inner Spring
Focus: Awaken the energy
Try: Dynamic flow yoga, fun and new activities like dance, interval training, strength training
After menstruation and in the first few days of inner spring, ease your body out of winter and awaken your energy with dance or some easy yoga flow. I personally love dancing as this taps into the playful inner maiden energy and is just fun! This also is a great time to try something new and experiment!
When you’re feeling up to it, start adding strength and interval training (like Tabata or HIIT) as your energy and estrogen levels rise and the body becomes more stress resilient and better adapted to strength building due to higher levels of estrogen and HGH (human growth hormone — a key hormone for muscle growth, cell repair and metabolism). Higher levels of these hormones mean your body is in a more anabolic state and better adapted for muscle growth. You also have higher muscle glycogen storage which can improve performance.
Studies by Sung and Han (2014) and Wikström-Frisén, Boraxbekk and Henriksson-Larsén (2017) showed higher increases in muscular strength when strength training during this period.
But don’t overdo it. Other research conducted in 2017 by Balachandar and Herzberg showed that women were more prone to injuries in the later follicular phase due to greater joint laxity (something to pay attention to, especially if you are hypermobile like myself!)
Generally, the latter half of inner spring is a good time to start ramping up the intensity in cardio, interval and strength training as energy and endurance is higher. Just make sure to warm up properly, train with proper form and take care not to overstretch or overexert.
I also use hot/cold contrast therapy (like sauna + cold plunge or just hot/cold constrast showers) prolifically through the inner spring & summer phases for exercise recovery, to boost metabolic health and just because it feels good!
Ovulation / Inner Summer
Focus: Werk it out!
Try: Higher intensity cardio / interval training, full body strength training with weights
The first half of summer (during ovulation) is an excellent time for full body strength training — ideally with weights. Generally energy & performance levels will be at their highest making it a good time to push ourselves physically.
I’ve found that my personal best in physical performance usually occurs in this phase. Estrogen & testosterone is high and progesterone is low which makes the body more stress resistant, pain resilient and better adapted to muscle building due to that higher level of HGH. Remember to support your strength workouts with sufficient protein and whole foods. Also remember that high levels of estrogen still mean a higher risk of injury due to greater laxity in connective tissue. So this is not a time to get sloppy on form!
During the second half of summer (post ovulation) it is important tune in to your body and how she feels in terms of exercise. Choose what feels right — whether that’s HIIT, strength training, yoga or a walk. Be mindful as estrogen drops. If you’ve been working hard, it’s OK to take some rest days! Remember — your body is wise.
Premenstruum / Inner Autumn
Focus: Your body is wise
Try: Walks in nature, endurance, yin yoga, feel good movement practices
During the first half of the premenstrual phase some people still feel energised while others really feel the downward shift. Everyone is unique. Many folks find workouts to be a great stress relief from PMS symptoms. I often have another peak energy day at mid-luteal day my cycle that can feel a bit like a mini-ovulation due to the secondary rise in estrogen alongside the peak in progesterone which occurs in this time. It’s actually personal my favourite time of the cycle.
However this phase shows up for you, move your body in a way that feels nourishing. Dance it out if your inner wild woman is feeling it, get your yoga flow on, or even get an interval or strength training session in if your body still feels up for it. Just be mindful that recovery tends to be slower during this phase. Progesterone also opposes estrogen — which sadly means you lose that muscle growth & performance advantage enjoyed in the follicular phase.
A few studies show an improvement in fat burning capability due to higher progesterone so light endurance activities like long hikes, walks or easy jogging can be good during this time. I wouldn’t recommend intense cardio as your body will be more stress sensitive and less resilient (compared to the follicular phase). The resting heart rate and basal body temperature is also higher which contributes to a perceived increase in exertion / cardiovascular strain and decrease in VO2max. Be sure to eat enough protein in this phase particularly before and after training. And as always, listen to your body — she is wise.
Take it easy towards the end of inner autumn, in the days before menstruation. This is an ideal time to really focus on nourishing movement practices that reduce stress. Easy walks in natures, gentle movement to music, yin/restorative yoga. Combine this with self-care practices like meditation, journalling, epsom salt baths, sauna and eating whole nutritious foods to ease your body back into menstruation and inner winter.
Other supportive tips
Throughout the cycle, it is important to nourish your body (and your gut) with nutritious whole foods — good quality protein, fats, vegetables, complex carbs and fibre.
If you are prone to being iron deficient, be really mindful during and immediately post menstruation to consume high-iron food (like red meat) alongside high vitamin C food for maximum absorption. You could even consider iron supplementation but do speak to your health practitioner and get your ferritin levels checked first. It is worth noting that most women are prone to being iron deficient during their menstrual years due to menstruation and if you struggle with post-menstrual fatigue, it is worth investigating.
During the pre-menstruum I love having raw cacao — it’s not only delicious, but also high in important minerals like magnesium which help reduce cramps. Other things that help with this include warm nourishing foods like bone broths, epsom salt baths, magnesium body butter, and herbal remedies such as Cramp Bark and Chaste Tree. Womb massage can help by improving circulation to the abdominal organs, with an aim to improve blood, nerve and lymph flow.
I also use hot/cold therapy (such as hot/cold contrast showers or sauna followed by cold plunge) which stimulates circulation and tones the nervous system without stressing the body (though I am careful with it on day 1 & 2). I love to do this first thing in the morning or last thing before bed. You can end on cold for a stimulating wake up (better than a coffee in the morning!) or warm for relaxation (great just before bed).
Note: If you have never done hot/cold therapy before, I recommend starting it in inner spring or summer as it can feel a bit intense and ease in gently! Also speak to your GP first if you have any heart or blood pressure issues.
I hope this is helpful and that you stay curious and experiment with this to figure out what works for you.
If you are interested in deepening your understanding of your menstrual cycle and discovering your own unique cyclic patterns, I have some availability for 1–1 menstrual cycle coaching. You can find out more and contact me via my website or below.
This info is intended for education and inspiration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or substitute qualified medical advice.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20199120/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24983853/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3425245/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4492530/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1526590012005858