What to do (externally): HOT GIRL CYCLE
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This is one of my personal favorite topics and something I actually just became aware of in the last year or less! I have always been a gym rat of sorts (not in the “matching sets” kind of way but rather the “get the itch if I haven’t been in a while” kind of way). Empowering women to be FIT and not just SKINNY comes from years of bullying I experienced that led me to think I needed to be the smallest size possible. Really, all any of us need is to be healthy! That will look different on everyone based on many things (how you carry weight, how predisposed you are to life circumstances such as stress, how active of a lifestyle you live, how long you’ve been at it, how consistent you are, etc…).
I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR NURSE. I HAVE NO QUALIFICATIONS MEDICALLY NOR SHOULD ANYTHING I SAY BE TAKEN AS MEDICAL ADVICE! I AM NOT A PERSONAL TRAINER OR A DIETICIAN EITHER – THE SAME THING APPLIES! ANYTHING I STATE WILL BE REFERENCED TO WHERE I FOUND THE INFORMATION OR IS STRICTLY BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE BUT MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO ALL READERS DUE TO VARYING CIRCUMSTANCES!
I know that all sounds a bit overwhelming but, thankfully, I am about to break it all down for you! Below will be the what and why behind what times of movement are going to get you the best results throughout your cycle. A lot of the “why” will also directly correlate to relief of various symptoms that occur in those phases
You may notice some overlap in these – that is because your estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are constantly fluctuating throughout your cycle. For example, your progesterone rises as you ovulate and stays high in the luteal phase so that is why cardio and swimming are good. However, in the ovulatory phase, you will also have very high estrogen compared to the luteal phase where it starts to decline so not ALL the optimal workouts are the same.
It will make more sense as we go:
Menstruation (~days 1-6)
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: stretching, walking, Pilates, yoga
WHY:
-gentle movements help reduce negative symptoms and match your mood
-movement HELPS more than doing nothing (even if you feel like an extra nap or Netflix binge is what you need)
-STILL LISTEN TO YOUR BODY’S NATURAL LIMITS!
-estrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest until day 3 when estrogen and testosterone begin to rise
Follicular (~days 7-12)
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: HIIT (high-intensity interval training), heavy cardio (running/cycling), body-weight conditioning, weight training
WHY:
-estrogen and testosterone are increased
-these hormones make it easier to build muscle and increase endurance
Ovulatory (~days 13-17)
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: HIIT (high-intensity interval training), swimming, weight lifting, dancing
WHY:
-peak estrogen levels and progesterone begin to rise
-because of these hormones, energy, stamina, and mental game all increase
-you can have higher levels of exertion due to increased energy
Luteal (~days 18-28)
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: low-impact cardio, swimming, walking/hiking, Pilates, yoga
WHY:
-you’re retaining more water and have a higher base body temp making it more difficult to cool down – STAY HYDRATED! DRINK ELECTROLYTES!
-these exercises naturally incorporate the recovery that your body needs
-progesterone is at its highest (beginning) but, if pregnancy isn’t achieved, it will trigger a decline in estrogen and progesterone and cause your period
A lot of this information I got from ​Dr. Jolene Brighten​ (as I hinted at before).
As you can see, your body is doing ALL THE THINGS!!! So have some grace with yourself, ESPECIALLY as you start this journey. It won’t always look the prettiest and you won’t get it right all the time. It is not “bad” for your body to not follow these examples, it is just not as optimal. Again, as always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! It knows you best. As you learn your cycle phases more, all of this will become more second nature. And the more you do it, the better you will feel thus allowing you to make more progress!
This information was probably my favorite to learn and write about! I know you were able to find at least SOMETHING in it to grow your foundation of knowledge. Hopefully more than one something. It’s all coming together now as we go on to discuss where we go with all our newfound “somethings” now!
