Did you know that you can improve your energy and fat burning by exercising differently throughout the month?
I’m talking about exercising FOR your female cycle.
Let’s consider a typical 28-day cycle. Here’s a breakdown of how your hormones change and how you can adjust your workouts accordingly:
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Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5):
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Hormones: Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels.
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Exercise Recommendation: If your cycle isn’t too heavy and you feel okay, this is a good time for exercise because of testosterone, which helps build and maintain muscle. However, if you’re feeling worn out, it’s perfectly fine to rest or engage in light activities like walking or gentle stretching.
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Follicular Phase (Days 6-14):
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Hormones: Estrogen starts to rise around day 4 or 5 and remains dominant until ovulation.
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Exercise Recommendation: This is an excellent time for intense workouts. Focus on strength training, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and activities that build lean muscle. Your body recovers faster, allowing you to push harder. If you’re aiming to increase weights or improve performance, this is the time to do it.
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Ovulation (Around Day 14):
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Hormones: Estrogen peaks and then starts to decline, while progesterone begins to rise.
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Exercise Recommendation: Continue with your intense workouts but start being mindful of your energy levels as you transition into the luteal phase.
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Luteal Phase (Days 15-28):
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You may still feel strong and energetic, so continue with your regular workouts but start to incorporate more rest and recovery.
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Your energy levels may drop, and you might feel more fatigued. Focus on lower-intensity activities like walking, yoga, and gentle stretching. Pay attention to your heart rate and allow more time for recovery. This is also a good time for endurance training and working on flexibility and mobility.
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Hormones: Progesterone rises and remains high until just before your period starts. There’s also a smaller peak in estrogen.
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Exercise Recommendation: This phase can be divided into two parts:
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Early Luteal Phase (Days 15-21):
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Late Luteal Phase (Days 22-28):
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Exercising for your cycle paired with eating for your cycle will be a game changer for your symptoms and hormone balance. If you are curious about your hormone levels, you can get started with an at-home DUTCH hormone test – I’d love to help you out!
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