How to Cycle Sync with Exercise for a Better Cycle
Understanding your “second clock” is essential to increased energy and performance with exercise. Essential.
This is post 3 of 4. If you haven’t read posts 1 & 2, start here and here first.
Ohhhh boy. This post is a personal favorite for me. I’ve always been intrigued by nutrition, but fitness has been a passion of mine as well. I’ve eagerly tried all kinds of different movements over the years, but it wasn’t until my health journey took a turn for the worse that I realized something needed to change. Specifically, my mindset on movement and body image needed a major adjustment. So, let’s touch base on that for just a moment before we dive in.
Exercise looks different for everyone. I prefer to use the word movement when referring to exercise because exercise and working out can have negative connotations. Plus, most people don’t think stretching is a form of exercise but it is most certainly moving your body, hence why I like the word movement. Exercise is a formal form of movement. But, for this post, you’ll find me using both words to get my point across. Now that you understand that, let me say this –
Your body is unique and you, my darling, are lovely. Every wrinkle, every freckle, every stretch mark, and every curve adds to your character and are signs you are living and experiencing the life given to you. So, please approach this post with grace. Approach movement with grace. Most of all, give yourself grace.
Most of all, know that exercise/ working out/ movement are not forms of punishment. They are a way, instead, to check-in with yourself and nourish your body. Working with your body is self-care. It is listening to what it needs. It is doing what feels good. This way of approaching movement is what will produce results such as shedding excess weight, ridding your body of stagnant fluid and toxins, building strength, and increasing muscle mass for a stronger, more resilient YOU.
Sound good? Sweet beans. Let’s dive in!
Find what you like/ what feels good to you
Just like food – fad diets, superfoods, eat this/ not that – there is a lot of “noise” around what’s the best movement for your body. From CrossFit to cycling to yoga, there is plenty to go around on why these forms of movement are best for your health. While I believe these forms of movement are great, they may not be great for you. Noticing a theme yet?
This is where I found myself struggling in my health journey. I wasn’t seeking out what felt good. I was doing the hard-hitting, sweat a lot, push to (or past) my limit kind of exercise. And I always felt awful. Again, intense exercise is fitting for some, but not for all, and even those that participate in intense workouts then need intense rest. I should mention, I was failing on the rest part too. Not a good combo.
Ok – I’m going to get sciency on you for a second.
During exercise, your body knows to shuttle glucose (sugar) into the cells. This improves over time as you become consistent with exercise and increases cellular activity, such as the transport of glucose and fatty acids into the cells for metabolism and ATP production (energy) during exercise (R.hling, Herder, Stemper, & Müssig, 2016).
Movement is goooOOOD (insert cousin Eddie voice) for the body!
However, over-extending or over-training your body will have negative implications. Think adrenal exhaustion, hormone imbalances, blood sugar dysregulation, etc. For many women, this could be simply exercising longer than 30 minutes. Based on Alisa Vitti’s research, she discovered that once the body uses up the circulating glucose in the body (after about 30 minutes), the adrenals pump out cortisol, signaling your fat cells to switch to sugar to provide energy for a longer workout. This can put too much stress and strain on the body, in particular for women who have too much estrogen in the body (Vitti, 2020).
Something to note – your body is under stress when you workout, but this is good stress called eustress. But, when the body is overworked or overtrained, it goes into distress – aka survival mode – and switches to storing fat to protect itself.
The body is smart and it knows when it’s had too much. If a form of movement doesn’t feel good to you (excluding challenging yourself a little), especially once you're done, or you simply don’t enjoy it, it’s probably not the right kind of movement for you.
Reminder – most research is on men, not women. I mentioned this in food cycling. It’s worth mentioning here too because the same goes for exercise studies. Women and men don’t have the same biochemical makeup. Yet, research results done on men are applied to women.
Because that makes sense.
“We need to investigate whether or not something is appropriate for us instead of doing it because of something we heard. ”
I can’t preach that enough. Understanding this is so important to help us, as women, champion through the noise created in the health and wellness community.
Each phase of our cycle requires different forms of movement and amount of rest. Remember – our hormones and metabolism fluctuate throughout our cycle (see this study). And according to this study, our energy availability and performance rapidly decrease during the luteal phase. So, the high-intensity movement wouldn’t be suitable during that phase. You can’t help but wonder why there isn’t more research on this, but it’s getting more attention!
Ladies, it’s time we start listening to our bodies. I am laying out the blueprint for how to cycle sync with movement, based on Alisa Vitti’s research. Keep in mind, there are better times of day to exercise during each phase, but today we are just going to talk about the kinds of movement to stick to, mmk?
Phase 1 – Follicular (your period has ended)
What’s going on: Your hormones have calmed down, but they will begin to rise again. You’re feeling more energetic and social now that you’ve finished bleeding. This is a great time to try something new or get back into a kind of movement that you really enjoy.
Movement suggestions –
Dancing (clogging anyone?)
Jogging/ running
Cycling (bonus for outdoor riding)
Mountain biking
Boxing
Phase 2 – Ovulatory
What’s going on: The estrogen and luteinizing (hormone released by the anterior pituitary that's a major player in ensuring a healthy reproductive system) hormones are on the rise. You’re feeling good this phase. Take advantage of it *wink wink*.
Movement suggestions –
HIIT training
Interval training
Bootcamp
Bodyweight circuit
Love-making/ baby-making (yes ma’am, I went there) – morning time is the best time during this phase sooo...have some fun.
Phase 3 – Luteal
What’s going on – Hormones estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone have reached their peaks but will drop right before you menstruate. Speaking of testosterone, you might find anger and frustration levels higher here, so why not release that crud through movement? This is your power phase – my favorite phase (aside from the possible anger/ frustration thing).
Note- embrace the power first half, but consider switching to gentler movement in the second half, especially if you’re experiencing PMS (Vitti, 2020).
Movement suggestions –
Weight lifting
Power yoga or pilates
Tire throwing...just checking to see if you’re still reading
Crossfit
Weight-bearing exercises – a great alternative if you have sore breasts, bloating, etc.
Phase 4 – Menstrual
What’s going on - The bleed has commenced. Your hormones are at their lowest level and you probably feel it. You’re typically more fatigued and low on energy and stamina during this phase. This is the time to take it easy. Aim for restorative movement, even if you have a burst of energy during this phase and especially if you feel like all you want to do is lay there and watch the clouds pass by. And if that’s all you can handle, do that.
Movement suggestions –
Gentle, restorative yoga
Walking
Stretching
Gentle pilates
Note on irregular or missing cycles (amenorrhea). The kind of movement you choose to do impacts your cycle. If you’re dealing with irregular periods or haven’t had one for a while, first know I’ve been there. Second, intense activity and long workouts most likely aren’t the best options for you right now. Your adrenals are already strained, and when you put intense movement on top of that they go into overdrive. This leads to more stress on the body and stolen nutrients from your sex hormones as cortisol is released.
I’m not saying you need to stop exercising altogether, but I am asking you to really think about the kind of exercising you’re choosing to do and notice how you feel during and after. After fighting it for years, and lots and lots of gentle urging by my functional medicine doctor, I finally backed off intense exercising. Once I did, I found gentle and restorative movement was exactly what my body needed to reduce stress, calm the heck down, and heal.
If I had listened sooner, to my doctor and my body, I may have had a quicker healing journey.
Gentler movement like yoga, walking, and pilates might just be what your body needs right now too. And patience. Lots and lots of patience and grace.
Cycling syncing with movement, like food, will increase your body's functionality during each phase + make you more in tune with your body. Join me in giving it a go and see how you feel!
Questions or thoughts? I'd love to hear them.
*Stay tuned for next week – cycle syncing with work for productivity during your cycle!
Sources:
D'Eon T, Braun B. The roles of estrogen and progesterone in regulating carbohydrate and fat utilization at rest and during exercise. J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 2002 Apr;11(3):225-37. doi: 10.1089/152460902753668439. PMID: 11988133.
Janse DE Jonge XA, Thompson MW, Chuter VH, Silk LN, Thom JM. Exercise performance over the menstrual cycle in temperate and hot, humid conditions. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Nov;44(11):2190-8. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182656f13. PMID: 22776870.
R.hling, M., Herder, C., Stemper, T., & Müssig, K. (2016). Influence of Acute and
Chronic Exercise on Glucose Uptake. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2868652.
Sims, S. (2020). We Need to Take Ownership of Our Bodies. Retrieved from CDJsIC5hE9K
Solomon, S. J., Kurzer, M. S., & Calloway, D. H. (1982). Menstrual cycle and basal metabolic rate in women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 36(4), 611-616.
Vitti, A. 2015. How to sync up your exercise routine with your cycle. Retrieved from https://www.floliving.com/exercise-and-menstrual-cycle/
Vitti, A. 2020. Exercise and Your Hormones. Retrieved from https://www.floliving.com/workout-routine/