Training WITH Your Cycle
As menstruating people, we have extra things to consider when we are working on our health and fitness. For most of our lives, we have been taught to ignore the symptoms and signs of our cycle and to not make adjustments throughout it, and all we’ve really gained is fatigue, shame, guilt, unwanted emotions, and more stress. So first off, I encourage you to speak with your trainer, let them know how you are feeling before your workout, and maybe even where you are at in your cycle, so the appropriate modifications can be made.
When we think of the menstrual cycle, we typically only think of menstruation itself. However, there are 4 phases to the menstrual cycle, and the effects on our energy and mental clarity are just as impactful as the shedding of the uterine lining. When we are bleeding, there are varying levels of progesterone and estrogen that often cause spikes in energy and motivation levels making it difficult to show up and put in the work at the gym, and that is totally normal.
So, during menstruation, focus on rest and recovery with walking, mobility, light or low impact lifting, stretching, yoga, and resting…yes! Take an extra rest day! Almost every month, I will skip my workout on the first day of my period, especially if it was a surprise that month.
After menstruation, the follicular phase begins. Here we start to see a rise in estrogen levels and with that a rise in energy levels as well.
Conversely to menstruation, in the follicular phase we are able to really hone in on our health & fitness goals. With more energy and motivation, you will be able to push yourself a little bit more and more easily complete harder and more intense workouts like cardio, high intensity and heavy lifts, and plyometric training.
The next phase in the cycle is ovulation. During ovulation progesterone is relatively low and testosterone is at its peak giving increased strength, confidence, motivation, and energy!
Akin to the follicular phase, you can typically focus on “going hard,” and may even be able to push yourself a little bit more! Getting in a good cardio, HIIT, and strength training session are great ideas again, due to increased energy levels as well as mood and motivation. This is when you will likely find yourself increasing weight or difficulty to your routine and hitting new personal records!
Lastly is the luteal phase. This is marked by increased levels of progesterone and thus a decrease of energy. It’s also where PMS begins.
When in the luteal phase, you can still strength train, but be gracious and allow yourself to slow it down, do less reps, and even go down in weight or difficulty. Good workouts during this phase include: going for a long walk, doing lower impact cardio, and spending more time on recovery and core. In fact, I needed these workouts this week. I did a low intensity rowing workout, active recovery, and decreased my loaded weight because my luteal phase had me feeling weaker, less energized, and rather unmotivated. Therefore, I slowed it down and allowed myself to not complete everything nor do it to my max level. Because of these modifications my body is thanking me!
Of course,everyone's body is different. Maybe you feel the effects of your cycle, and maybe you do not. Maybe you do, but never realized the connection before now. Perhaps you only feel a difference some months. If you are like me and feel it more some months, this is likely caused by increased stress levels, decreased sleep, nutrition, and any other number of factors. In any case, please listen to your body. Is it telling you to slow down or push harder? Take a nap or go for a walk? Stay away from others or find a friend for support? The point is, please do not push yourself past your limits. It’s time we all learn to work with our bodies and hormones, instead of against them.
At MBodied Strength, we are more than happy to adjust your program, so instead of canceling, rescheduling, or pushing yourself through your session, allow us to make the modifications (you can even tell us 15 minutes into your session), so you can have the workout or movement snack you need that day or week.
Written by Melanie Lofgren,
Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Counsellor.