Did you know you can workout for your menstrual cycle? Cycle syncing is all about making lifestyle choices, from the food you eat to the exercises you do, according to your menstrual cycle. This can be especially helpful if you feel like your hormones are out of whack. Working your lifestyle around your cycle can help you work with your hormone fluctuations and take back control of your body. Remember, every woman is different. We each experience menstrual cycles differently so it’s important to collect your own data through an app or calendar. To help you out, here are 8 full body cycle syncing workouts for each phase of your menstrual cycle.
Exercise and Your Menstrual Cycle: 5 Things to Know
1. If you understand how the different phases of your cycle affect your hormone levels, you can exercise accordingly for the best benefits.
2. Moderate-intensity exercise, like yoga, is beneficial for premenstrual symptoms.
3. Exercising too much can cause missed periods or make your periods stop entirely (this is more common among athletes and those who train hard).
4. Low-intensity workouts, like walking, can help you feel better during your period.
5. Exercise can help with relief from PMS and period related symptoms.
Cycle Syncing 101
There are 4 phases of your menstrual cycle: menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulatory phase and luteal phase. Cycle syncing is the process of making lifestyle changes that support the changes that occur within your body during your menstrual cycle. Here’s what to know about each phase.
Menstrual Phase
Your menstrual phase is when you have your period. The first day of your period is considered day 1 of your cycle. During the beginning of your period, your estrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest, and along with loss of blood, this can make you feel more tired than usual.
During this phase, the lining of your uterus is shedding (which causes bleeding) and you may experience cramps, headaches, tender breasts, bloating and acne. Listen to your body and how you feel. It may be telling you to take it easy during this phase, so make sure to get lots of rest and relaxation.
When it comes to exercise, lighter movements like walking and restorative yoga are often best. As for food, try soothing tea like chamomile to combat cramps and limit fatty foods, alcohol, caffeine and salty foods. Increase your consumption of iron and B-vitamins, as well as healthy fats and leafy greens.
Follicular Phase
The follicular phase actually begins on the first day of your period and lasts until the beginning of ovulation. So yes, the menstrual phase is part of the follicular phase. During the follicular phase, estrogen and progesterone are on the rise and your body creates a hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This hormone signals to the ovaries to create eggs for the ovulation phase. In this phase, you’ll notice a rise in mental alertness, focus and energy.
This is a great time to take advantage of your strength and optimize your energy bursts by doing more intense workouts! You can incorporate HIIT and bootcamp workouts as well as heavy weightlifting into your routine. When it comes to food, focus on lean meats and organic proteins to keep your estrogen levels supported. Eat lots of vegetables, especially those high in vitamin E like leafy greens, avocado, walnuts, seeds and sweet potatoes.
Ovulatory Phase
During the ovulatory phase, the follicle ruptures, allowing the egg to pass down the fallopian tube and toward the uterus for implantation. Estrogen and progesterone levels continue to rise and you may notice you experience more confidence, attractiveness and competence. You can continue your high impact workouts and you may consider signing up for some group workouts.
Eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts as they’re high in fibre and antioxidants and help release toxins. Vitamin C helps with antioxidant absorption, and B vitamins and iron are still important in this phase, as is magnesium to help balance hormones.
Luteal Phase
Your luteal phase is when your body is preparing for another period cycle (or pregnancy). The endocrine system starts to decrease the production of hormones in preparation to shed the egg along with the uterine lining. This is a good time for self-reflection, spending more time at home and taking care of your body. You may feel more bloated as the size of your womb increases. Pilates, swimming and yoga are great workouts to do during this phase.
Eat foods that boost serotonin like leafy greens, quinoa and buckwheat. Earthy foods like homemade stocks and soups, and roasted root vegetables will help warm you up and ground you. You’ll also want to focus on magnesium-rich foods like dark chocolate, spinach and pumpkin seeds that fight fatigue and low libido. Since this is the phase right before your period, you’ll want to focus on eating healthy and avoiding foods like red meat, dairy and added salt that can trigger discomfort and cramps.
8 Cycle Syncing Workouts
Menstrual Phase (Days 1-7)
Relaxing Yoga or Stretching
If you’re feeling fatigue and low energy during this time, practice some restorative yoga and stretching to release tension and stress while getting into a calm state of mind. Focus on practices that feel more like self care.
Walking or Hiking
Try meditative walks or hikes through nature during your menstrual phase. This is a great way to nurture and protect your body while still getting a good dose of light cardio in.
Follicular Phase (Days 8-13)
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Optimize your energy during this phase by doing HIIT workouts. HIIT workouts involve short periods of intense exercise alternated with recovery periods. It’s fast-paced, fun and helps you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
Boxing
Boxing is another great exercise to do when your energy levels are high! Boxing helps you build full body strength and gets your heart rate up and blood pumping for an amazing cardio burst.
Ovulatory Phase (Days 14-21)
Cycling
Cycling or spin classes are an awesome way to get your cardio up, increase your endorphins and build lean muscle for your legs and core. You may feel more social during this phase, so going to spin classes will satisfy that need.
Strength Training
You can push yourself a little more with strength training during your ovulatory phase. Strength training improves your strength and endurance and includes both dumbbells and bodyweight exercises.
Luteal Phase (Days 22-28)
Yoga or Pilates
More restorative workouts like Pilates or yoga are great during the luteal phase. Yoga has been found to be excellent for relieving PMS symptoms and Pilates is an amazing workout to increase overall strength while releasing muscle tension.
Low Intensity Cardio
Low intensity cardio workouts, like swimming or going on an easy hike, are perfect activities to keep you moving, while not working your body too intensely. It’s likely you won’t feel like pushing yourself to your maximum cardio-wise during this phase, so stick to lower intensity cardio to feel your best.
Cycle syncing can help you understand your body and treat it right during the phases of your menstrual cycle. Be sure to listen to your body and do the workouts that feel right for you.
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