How I’m Syncing My Exercise With My Menstrual Cycle & Why

Menstrual cycle syncing is something I’ve always been aware of, but never really looked into. That was, however, until I had to quit running (and any form of intense exercise for that matter) in September 2020 to help support the health of my hormones.

While I’m still on a journey to help rebalance my hormones as naturally as possible, I’ve made a decision to see if I can finally start working with my body again to see if I can find that sweet spot of exercising to help support my hormones, rather than fighting them.

You see, unlike men who perform on a 24-hour cycle, women actually operate on an average 28-day cycle, with energy peaking & dipping around certain times in the month. Syncing your exercise to your menstrual cycle not only helps you to perform better, but it has profound benefits on your overall health too, including hormone balance.

So what is cycle syncing?

Cycle syncing is simply planning your exercise or fitness schedule around certain weeks/phases in your menstrual cycle.

Why? Well, each week of your cycle your hormones change and these changes can impact everything from your energy, mood, focus, strength, and believe it or not, your food cravings too.

Cycle syncing involves paying attention to your hormones, progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, and working with them throughout your cycle so you know exactly where your body is at (i.e, tired or energetic). And once we start working with our hormones during certain phases in our cycle, we can start tailoring our exercise to our hormone’s benefit.

Personally, I’ll be syncing my cycle to help me understand what kind of exercise my body needs at certain phases in my cycle so I can finally start exercising again while keeping my hormones healthy and happy too.

It’s important to note that while exercise is healthy for your body, too much exercise can reeve your cortisol levels up and over time, affect your hormones – which is why it’s so important for me to find the balance with the help of cycle syncing.

How exercise can impact your menstrual cycle

Yes, exercise is really bloody important for our health, but let’s not forget that women are not men. Following a one-size-fits-all fitness plan simply doesn’t work with women who have a forever-changing hormonal pattern.

That doesn’t mean you can’t train hard, but it does mean you have to take your body and hormones into consideration at different phases in your cycle. And honestly, when was the last time you really took your hormones into consideration, huh?

Throughout our cycle, our hormone fluctuations impact our energy, mood and eating habits. Yet, it’s still something that is rarely mentioned in the fitness industry.

Just one week of cycle syncing will help you understand where your body is at its strongest, and where it’s at during its inner winter phase (yes, that’s your period!).

Oh, I forgot to mention cycle syncing is also seen as syncing to our ‘four seasons’. That’s inner winter, inner spring, inner summer and inner autumn!

The simple approach of syncing your exercise to your menstrual cycle not only allows you to maximise your body’s energy stores throughout the month, but it also helps you to understand your body better and ultimately, take better care of it. Now, how’s that for a little self-care, huh?

The phases of our menstrual cycle & how to cycle sync

Phase One! Aka, inner winter (typically days 1-6 of your cycle) menstruation phase

Inner winter marks the start of your period and the start of a brand new cycle. Biochemically, this means your hormones are at their lowest and physically, you’re shredding the lining of your uterus that was built up from the previous cycle (which would have been getting ready for pregnancy).

During phase one of our cycle our bodies generally feel more tired… and quite right! This is a time we’re most likely to experience menstrual symptoms like cramping, bloating, grogginess and even tiredness from a poor night’s sleep before.

Is it the time to go hard on your training during this phase of your cycle? Nooooo! Now is the time to rest and slow things down as we help support our bodies whilst they do their monthly thang.

When it comes to exercise, it’s important to choose a form of movement which prioritises rest and renewal and most importantly, exercise that works to support your hormones, rather than fight them.

This isn’t the time to go hard with a HIIT-style workout or run a half marathon. It’s important to tune in with your body and help support it rather than adding more intensity to its load.

Traditionally, a few days of taking it easy during your inner winter phase is known to help the body restore itself and help prepare it for the other upcoming phases. Think of inner winter as your body’s hibernation mode!

How I’ll be exercising during my inner winter phase:

• Slow gentle movement such as yin yoga or stretching yoga.
• Daily walks to help promote good blood flow
• Meditation – you can always try moving meditation!
• Simple stretches

Phase two: Inner spring (typically days 7-13 of your cycle) follicular phase

Inner spring signals the end of your period and a rise of energy. Naturally, this is when the body starts getting ready to release another egg for ovulation – roughly a week away. Your hormones, estrogen and testosterone, will also begin to rise too. You can actually thank them for your sudden boost in energy.

This is the time in your phase when your body is starting to come out of hibernation and when you start feeling a little more ‘you’ again. Also, thanks to the rise in estrogen, you might also feel a little more creative too.

The best form of movement you can do during this time is anything that takes advantage of your new release of energy. Light cardio or strength-based exercises will be favoured, as well as long walks, pilates and stronger, more energised yoga flows.

How I’ll be exercising during my inner spring phase:

• Starting to run again after a week off during my period. I’ll start with 1 run during phase two of my cycle and see how my body reacts to this by noting symptoms daily.
• Stronger, more energised yoga flows 3/4 times a week
• Daily walks – anything from 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Phase three: Inner summer (typically days 14-21 of your cycle) ovulation phase

Your hormones are at their peak during phase three of your cycle. Now your estrogen and testosterone levels have surged, your body is now ready to release an egg at ovulation.

You might also find that you’re feeling your best too. Your energy will be high, your skin will be glowing, your libido will be roaring and you’ll be wanting to smash your workouts… And rightly so!

And because your energy is at its highest, phase three is the time in your cycle to really push your body. Reeve the intensity up, go for a PB, try a longer run – your hormones will help support your body, so trust it, girl.

However, during this time in your phase it is important that you warm up and cool down properly to avoid any injuries due to high levels of estrogen.

How I’ll be exercising during my inner summer phase:

• 2 runs a week (sticking with the couch to 5K app) – making sure I warm-up and cool down properly.
• At home 20-30 minute bodyweight workouts (i.e, ab workouts & strength workouts) – 2/3x a week
• Walking on the days I don’t run – 40-60 minutes.

Phase four: Inner autumn (typically days 22-29 of your cycle) luteal phase

Once ovulation has taken place, estrogen and testosterone will start to drop off while progesterone takes over. If you take your body basal temperature every morning as I do, you’ll also know that during this phase in your cycle your temperature increases too. This means 1) progesterone is at its highest and 2) your body is now burning more calories. In the final days before your period, however, your temperature will decrease as progesterone levels drop off in preparation for your period.

Because this is a time in our cycle where our hormone levels begin to dip, we might notice another dip in our energy levels too. Think of it as your body’s way of preparing itself for another period… another hibernation. You might also notice increased bloating, tiredness and any PMS symptoms too.

Typically, this is when we need to start listening to our bodies, especially when it comes to exercise. Saying that however, it’s still important to help support the body with any beneficial movement such as moderate cardio, swimming, hiking, normal yoga flows, jogging and pilates.

Helping the body to sweat during this phase might also help ease any PMS symptoms and reduce the chances of period cramps too.

How I’ll be exercising during my inner autumn phase:

• Tailoring my runs back to 1x a week
• Replacing at-home workouts with yoga flows (which can still be slightly intense)
• Daily walks

…And once phase 4 of your cycle has finished, a new one begins again with your menstrual cycle!

Of course, the above guide should only be used as a starting place and once you’ve taken note of how your body feels during each phase of your cycle, you can adjust it accordingly for your next cycle.

The wonderful thing about our bodies is that we are all different. By syncing your exercise to your cycle and taking note of each phase and how your body feels during each day, you’ll soon start to have access to the most powerful guide in just a few months: your body.

So what do you think? Have you tried cycle syncing before? Let me know in the comments below!