Workouts that Actually Work With You
You may have heard of cycle syncing, and taking charge of your own fertility awareness, but with so much information out there --- how can we actually do that?
What if I told you, it could be super simple when getting started? Instead of adding in more complication to learning your body, you can start by creating a foundation of cyclical awareness to learn how to work with your body instead of against it.
Instead of diving head first into the biology and science of this conversation (we will save that for another time,) let's break down the nuts and bolts of what it means to be confident with your cyclical hormone rhythms.
Let's dive into the basics of what goes on in your body on a monthly basis!
In the above image, you can see there is a lot going on. And for the sake of this blog we will only focus on the major phases to build a foundation of how your body changes physically, emotionally and mentally every month! So let's start by looking at the 4 phases of your menstrual cycle.
1. Menstruation (your period) -- Day 1-5 -- Your period resets your biological clock every month, so instead of your cycle really taking off after your period (which it feels like,) Day 1 begins on the first day of your period.
You may notice you feel much more fatigued, workouts feel slow as you begin to "thaw" from your hormones being at their all time low. This phase can feel more supported when you are moving in a way that suits your symptoms, so this could be yoga, slowly increasing weight training intensity or steady state cardio.
2. Follicular -- Day 1-14 -- Your follicular phase encompasses your period and ends with ovulation. Typically your follicular phase lends towards higher levels of energy, creativity, higher libido, etc. Think of this as your blossoming Spring phase, and despite your intentions to conceive or not, your body is programmed to put all effort into finding a mate and procreation. So hello heels, and a little more makeup because this is typically where women feel their best mentally, physically and emotionally.
3. Ovulation -- Day 15-16 -- If sperm meets egg, then boom baby! Literally. It is important to note that everyone's fertility patterns are different, so just because your calendar tracker says that you are ovulating on Day 14, it's good to know what fertile windows can vary for a variety of reasons. So all the more reason to really learn your own body and patterns if you're looking to prevent conception or really trying to hone in! Ovulation is really your strong and sexy season, even though it's short lived. This is the time where you may feel more outgoing and physically stronger, so try out those new weights in the gym or you'll feel more confident in social settings.
4. Luteal Phase -- Day 17-28 -- The luteal phase gets a bad rap, but no wonder when progesterone is the main hormone stepping onto stage. Progesterone is typically seen as the "nesting" hormone that steps in following ovulation in the case that you did conceive, and can start rolling out all the stops to prepare baby's home in your uterus. For many women, this is where the PMS symptoms begin to manifest and your body may feel more fatigued all together. By prioritizing quality nourishment, and being realistic about your movement habits during this phase you can still accomplish many of your fitness goals! While it may not be the prime time to set a new personal record in the gym or begin marathon training, there are still so many benefits of consistent exercise in the second half of your cycle.
I started to feel like I was home in my own body, and the mirror was actually reflecting the hard work I was doing...
Courtney Babilya Fitness Nurse and Founder of the Keeping Balance Method shares her story on the If Only I Were Wiser Podcast about how to really begin aligning your body and workouts with your cycle to optimize training and health mentally and physically!
If you want to learn more about how to start tailoring your workouts and lifestyle to better align with your workouts, check out the episode here!
Want more more tools in your tool kit, and a step by step walk through to feel confident in tailoring your lifestyle around your cycle?
Keeping Balance Method is the perfect course for you!
Get out of your own way and start learning to work with your fertility to find fitness freedom!
