Are you ready to explore explore why women want to sync their workouts with their menstrual cycle? Buckle up Ladies, we’re about to dive into a topic that’ll help you unlock some badassery, heal you body, and help you move toward your next level of Health & Fitness. We’re talking about syncing your workouts with your menstrual cycle! Yep, where was this 10 years ago? Well as we know now, the fitness industry is based on MALE biology, hence why so many women start experiencing internal challenges around 30. When I started understanding and embracing the hormonal changes happening inside my body 4 years ago, my body delivered MUCH better results. Get ready to tap into your superpowers and let’s explore why syncing workouts with your menstrual cycle is a total game-changer.
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Leveraging Hormonal Phases:
Your menstrual cycle isn’t just about cramps and chocolate cravings like we thought for so long. It’s a hormonal wave that can work to your advantage. With four distinct phases – menstruation, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal. By tailoring workouts to these phases, women can align their training with their body’s natural rhythm, leading to better results. Keep reading!
Save this podcast I did with my superstar sister queen, Samantha Jo Harvey for a FULL rundown on the juicy details.
2. Enhanced Performance during the Follicular Phase (mid-cycle)
During the follicular phase (after bleed), estrogen levels rise, resulting in increased energy and improved pain tolerance. This phase is an good time to focus on increasing *your* intensity, perhaps slightly heavier strength training, high-intensity workouts (if you must), and also a good time to throw in an extra hike with a bestie. Utilizing these hormonal advantages can lead to greater gains in strength and endurance as the body has greater capacity.
Check out this YouTube video hand-picked for you from my Optimal Health Membership site, that will give you all the juicy details on what’s most supportive during what phase.
3. Managed Cortisol Levels
This is a BIG one.Have you experienced any of these? Adrenal Fatigue, high cortisol levels, unexplained weight gain, perhaps even digestive issues, and recurring injuries. Managing cortisol is one of the biggest gifts that comes with cycle-syncing. Unlike men who only operate off the circadian rhythm with cortisol rising at 5am, women’s cortisol levels change during each phase. For example, avoiding High Intensity Workouts during times of menstruation, or premenstruation will highly support the body as the cortisol levels already rise during these times. Trying to go that extra mile during these phases kicks cortisol levels and adrenal activity in overdrive. Likely if you are here, you already know the effects of rising cortisol levels. This in itself is an excellent reason to sync your workouts to your Menstrual Cycle.
(Btw the term Cycle-Syncing is originally coined by Alisa Viti. Highly recommend her book WomanCode)!
4. Tailored time for Mobility, Flexibility, and Recovery.
Another pivot reason women would want to sync their workouts with their menstrual cycle is it’s simply not feasible to train at higher intensities all month long, even though I, and perhaps you did it for so many years. This leads to injuries, and overall a fitness plateau where no more progress/fat-burning/muscle-gain is achieved. This is because it goes against the biological rhythm. The Luteal phaase (7-10 days before bleed) is when Estrogen and Progesterone levels starts nose diving, making it a perfect time to focus on ESSENTIAL recovery and optimization for injury prevention.
In the Optimal Health Membership we have a plethora of slow mindful exercises, and recovery options that are seriously life-changing when it comes to seeing long-term progress and healing things like Adrenal Fatigue, high cortisol, and repeat injuries.
5. Heal Your Body Image, High Functioning Anxiety, and SO much more
Optimal Health can be such a Body, Mind, and Spirit journey. Since I healed my Adrenal Fatigue before I actually found out about cycle-syncing, *these* were my BIGGEST takeaways from syncing up my workouts with my cycle. I didn’t even know I had high-functioning anxiety, but it totally made sense when I started slowing down. Also, I didn’t think I had body image issues (I mean, don’t we all), but I was always relatively “in shape” so didn’t think this was a thing for me, wrong. I used exercise as an outlet to feel better about myself, feel like I did the thing, check the societal boxes. It was a vicious cycle of chasing a better body, so when I was in the gym I’d try to get as much done in the tight hour that I had. Obviously syncing up meant softening into acceptance and trust that my body was benefiting.
I now have many tools to help my 1:1 clients not only get through this but to be fully present with the process as after all, simply logging in an app and following yet another “program” will not get us the actual results that are possible. If you are curious about syncing up, know that it may feel like a beautiful disaster in the beginning but I promise, your body, mind, and spirit will be so much better off. If you need support, feel free to reach out to me, or fill out my 1:1 coaching application. Thank you for popping by and I look forward to staying connected.
Asma Kassam, BHK, CSNA, CFST
Former Fitness Business Owner, Kinesiologist, Certified Sports Nutrition Advisor, Certified Fascial Stretch Therapist, turned Women’s Health advocate & coach.
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akfitnessandhealth.thinkific.com/courses/optimal-health-membership
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