Navigating Your Fitness Journey According to Your Menstrual Cycle
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Have you ever heard about Cycle Syncing?
Cycle syncing is matching how you exercise with the stages of your menstrual cycle to optimize results and to be kind to your body. And this is a hot topic amongst women right now and for a good reason.
Due to the fluctuations of different hormones, our bodies actually require different things depending on where we are in our cycle. That’s why in this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are going to outline how to sync your workouts with your monthly cycle for better results!
What I discuss:
Menstrual and Luteal phase
Follicular and Ovulation Phase
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter. A podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I issue a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it, let's go. [00:00:21][21.1]
[00:00:29] Hello, and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. By the title of this episode, you already know we're going to be talking about and this is a hot topic. This is a topic that I've actually gotten a lot of requests on. And I think that the reason why as a society we're talking about this more is just because the whole biohacking conversation has gotten a lot louder in the last few years of just really understanding how to optimize health. And cycle syncing in terms of your workouts is definitely a real thing. Like on a monthly basis, our human female bodies go through so much in terms of our different fluctuations in hormones. It's not just in our head, it's actual science. And so that's why I want to kind of break it down in today's episode of the Embrace Your Real podcast. [00:01:14][44.9]
[00:01:14] But before we dive in, I wanted to share this review. It comes from the one and only Kat to give a five star review and said Inspiration. Thank you for keeping it real and keeping it positive. I'm so glad you have a podcast. I look forward to listening to them all. Honor your body with movement. [00:01:30][15.8]
[00:01:31] Yes, girl, that is always what I'm talking about. That is always my goal. And my aim is to encourage you to honor your body with movement. And I think that this is a perfect topic that really encompasses that, right? Honoring your body means that you're going to cater what you need each day depending on where you're at. So and give yourself grace in that. And you know, for a long time we I think as well as females, we've kind of let ourselves to believe like, oh, it's kind of all in our head. Like, you know, we go through this this menstrual cycle every single month and it does affect certain parts of our our day to day. It affects how we sleep, it affects how we move, it affects how we talk to people. It affects so many different areas. [00:02:13][42.2]
[00:02:14] And so I want to talk about this. And I think that the whole like cycle syncing your workouts is awesome because it can really dial in and help you dial in and understand your body even more and also give yourself realistic expectations from a month to month basis. [00:02:31][17.1]
[00:02:31] So essentially, cycle sinking your workouts is matching how you exercise to the stages of your menstrual cycle to really optimize your results and be kind to your body. But before we dive in, I kind of want to get really nitty gritty with you and just kind of help you understand the different hormones as they play in our body to help you understand why we need to address things. [00:02:51][20.2]
[00:02:52] So first of all, estrogen and progesterone, those are the two primary female sex hormones that play vital roles in the menstrual cycle and reproductive system. Right. Estrogen is a group of hormones and is mainly produced by the ovaries, although small amounts are also produced by the adrenal glands and the fat tissues that are responsible for development and regulation of female reproductive organs. Which is why we get curves and why we also go through puberty. [00:03:16][24.4]
[00:03:17] The next hormone is progesterone, right, which is primarily produced by the ovaries. After ovulation, it plays a crucial role in preparing the uterus for pregnancy and also maintaining a healthy pregnancy if fertilization occurs. Progesterone also helps to support the growth of blood vessels in the uterus. [00:03:35][18.9]
[00:03:36] So both estrogen and progesterone, they work together to regulate the menstrual cycle and are crucial for the reproductive health. So understanding their roles and the kind of changes that they induce throughout the menstrual cycle, this can help you to tailor your workouts, your nutrition and overall lifestyle to optimize not only your results, but also your overall well-being. [00:03:57][20.6]
[00:03:58] So I want to dive into the four phases of your cycle. So phase one is menstruation, right? Menstruation, also known as the menstrual cycle or the bleeding phase is the first phase of the menstrual cycle. So during this phase, estrogen and progesterone, those levels are at their lowest point. [00:04:14][16.6]
[00:04:15] The drop in hormone levels can contribute to feelings of fatigue, bloating, mood fluctuations. In this specific phase, it's important to honor your body with rest recovery. Be more gentle on your body during this time. This can help to promote blood flow, reduce cramps and also alleviate discomfort. Right. So let's say, for example, you normally do five days a week in your workouts, maybe try 3 to 4 days a week, or if you normally do, you know, 45 to 65 minute workout. Instead, try to drop it down to maybe 30, 35 minutes. [00:04:48][33.1]
[00:04:48] You might also find that you need to reduce the weight that you're lifting as you might feel a little bit weaker during this specific time. So if you combine high impact cardio with resistance training regularly, this would also be a great week to kind of skip the cardio or at the very least and if you still want to do some movement outside of your resistance training, keeping it low intensity, low impact, so incorporating stretching recovery light pilates, daily walks, things like that can be very beneficial during menstruation, and these activities also promote relaxation. They can improve blood circulation and can help to relieve muscle tension. [00:05:25][36.9]
[00:05:26] So my best advice during this specific phase is to really set the bar low, allow yourself, you know, to do things at a slower pace and be okay with that rate. If you still try to push through the week and still try to push at the level that you normally do. You're likely going to get upset with yourself for not being able to follow through and this can affect your consistency long term and also just negative self-talk. [00:05:50][23.7]
[00:05:50] So my encouragement to you is to aim for three days a week, 30 to 35 minutes, kind of add in more depending on how you feel and let that be enough. Go into this week knowing that 100% effort is going to look different, adjust accordingly to what your body's telling you. Overall, with your workouts, you might want to avoid anything super strenuous. Have compassion on yourself and remind yourself that if you're feeling the way that you're feeling, it's because of science. It's because of what is happening in your body during this phase of your menstrual cycle. [00:06:24][33.7]
[00:06:25] No matter what, I want you to just try to commit to honoring your body with movement. That's low impact. Again, this doesn't have to be a strenuous workout. In fact, it shouldn't be a strenuous workout unless you magically have a lot of energy, which for me, I know for me, just on my menstrual cycle, I get some really bad periods the first few days. And for me, just walking on my treadmill or walking outside helps so, so much. [00:06:50][25.6]
[00:06:51] I also want you to remember that prioritizing rest and sleep during this phase is so important because your body is undergoing a natural process of renewal. And so having that adequate rest is essential for an overall well-being. So I want you to aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night, if that's possible. And if there's one time where you really make an effort to sleep more, let this be the phase. [00:07:14][22.6]
[00:07:14] So to kind of sum it up again, just listen to your body during this time rather than pushing too hard, adjust your workouts as needed while still remaining consistent and embrace this time as an opportunity for self-care. Rejuvenation this time is to put you first and really focus on the recovery that you need. All right. That brings us to phase two, the follicular phase. [00:07:34][19.6]
[00:07:34] So during the follicular phase, this is a dynamic period that occurs between menstruation and ovulation. So during this phase, your ovaries are preparing to release an egg and at estrogen levels gradually rise. This increase in estrogen actually triggers awesome things for your workouts and fitness goals. So one significant effect of rising estrogen levels is a huge increase in energy and focus. So as estrogen levels increase, you might experience a boost in motivation and mental clarity, making it the absolute ideal time to go hard on your resistance training and really ramp up the weights that you have been using as also as well as the reps that you're been doing. [00:08:12][37.9]
[00:08:13] So really focusing on that progressive overload. So essentially that's, you know, involves gradually increasing the demands placed in your muscles to see those optimal results this time. Phase two, the follicular phase would be a great time to incorporate more workouts during the week, really pushing for those 45 to 60 minute workouts. If you have the time, this will be the best week to place a larger load on your body. So really pushing yourself in your workouts and seeing what weight you use for a particular exercise and asking yourself if I have the means, have a have the energy, am I able to really push it this time? Am I able to push, you know, two and a half pounds heavier or £5 heavier, or am I able to change the tempo? Am I able to increase reps, things like that? [00:08:57][43.9]
[00:08:57] If you also enjoy cardio on top of resistance training, that high impact cardio, this would definitely be the week to do it. Really pushing your limits and challenging yourself during this time of your menstrual cycle can lead to significant gains. Plus, pushing hard this week is going to make up kind of for the ease and rest that you took last week and it kind of evens things out so you don't have to feel guilty for going easy on yourself the previous week. [00:09:21][24.2]
[00:09:22] Again, just being intentional with the scientific backing of what's going on with your body and really sinking that with your workouts. [00:09:29][7.5]
[00:09:30] Phase three, the ovulation phase. So ovulation is a crucial phase in your menstrual cycle when the ovary releases an egg. So it typically occurs around the middle of your cycle driven by an increase in estrogen. This increase triggers a range of psychological and physiological changes that, again, you can take advantage of. So during ovulation, you'll also experience the positive benefits like you did during the follicular phase. So increase energy, enhance endurance, improve coordination, and this is another perfect time to keep the intensity high during your workouts and take advantage of the energy and motivation boost. [00:10:05][35.5]
[00:10:06] This is also a perfect time to focus on those complex dumbbell movements that engage multiple muscle groups and gauge your balance stability. So during this time, you might be able to perform the exercise or exercises that you weren't able to do previously. This could also be a week that you could really focus on trying to get to the progression of the movement. So let's say, for example, you've been doing pushups on your knees trying to do at least 1 to 5 push ups that are not on your knees, like really pushing yourself and to see what you can accomplish. And I would recommend leveraging your heightened endurance during ovulation by aiming for, you know, those 45 minute workouts, perhaps bumping your three day a week workout routine to four or five day a week if you can. [00:10:52][46.3]
[00:10:53] And then also, again, if you prefer, cardio along with your resistance training, this is definitely the second week of the month to do it in terms of your cycle. So taking the ovulation phase as an opportunity for you to really push yourself in your workouts, both resistance training as well as cardiovascular. All right. [00:11:13][19.8]
[00:11:13] Phase number four is the luteal phase. So this is when your body starts to loop back around to the menstrual phase. This is often the phase that is the most crappy for women who have symptomatic periods. So that decline in estrogen and the rise in progesterone, those lead to the classic PMS symptoms. So feeling sad, experiencing trouble with concentration are very, very common for this roughly 12 to 14 day span. Cardio performance tends to suffer during this time due to a spike in cortisol and drop in serotonin. [00:11:44][31.4]
[00:11:45] So if you're someone who feels good incorporating cardio into their resistance training, this might not be the time to force yourself to hop on a bike, treadmill, stairs, elliptical. If you're not feeling it, your heart is working slightly harder than normal during this phase, so you might notice that you reach a higher heart rate more quickly, which makes things feel a lot harder than they typically are on the other weeks of your phase. And this is why you might want to start ramping down your workouts. [00:12:13][27.6]
[00:12:13] So maybe, you know, if you for the past few weeks you've been doing five days a week, maybe try for three days a week, depending on how you're feeling, lessening the workouts from, you know, 65, 45 minutes to maybe 30 minutes, all depending on how you're feeling. You might need to lower your weights as well or cut back on some sets of reps, just like your menstrual cycle phase. Your 100% during this time is going to look different than your 100% last week. And so I want you to have compassion and only push your body to the current limits, not the limits from last week. With that being said, you guys know I'm going to encourage you to continue to still move your body, even if it's the last thing that you want to do. [00:12:51][38.0]
[00:12:52] Your workouts are going to be the best tool for combating your low moods due to that low serotonin level in your body during this time. So when you start to approach this with your workouts, you actually will likely become more consistent because you understand what is going on in your body and you're adjusting accordingly. So rather than taking this all or nothing approach really just kind of scaling back or scaling forward depending on how you're feeling, this will allow you to do that, which is why I love just learning more about the female body and about what's going on and why why I'm feeling the way that I am. Because again, I think sometimes we can get in our head and we think, Oh, you know, it's all in our head. And the fact of the matter is like, no, our bodies are going through an intense cycle every single month. There's physiological things that are going on in our bodies every single month. [00:13:45][52.6]
[00:13:45] The one thing that I have found that has helped me stay consistent, not only educating myself on things like this and being keen and aware, but also having a plan. So if you don't have a fitness plan to follow, I am going to encourage you to follow one. So whether this is my program or it's somebody else's program, I don't really care. I just care that you have a plan so that you're able to follow it. Because the beautiful thing about a plan is that it gives you the structure that you need so that you can stay accountable to that. [00:14:13][28.3]
[00:14:14] What I love about my personal program is that I give you a 60 minute or 30 minute variation for every single exercise, for every single workout. So that way you are able to pick, depending on your time constraints, depending on your energy constraints that week, you know where you are at in your menstrual cycle. You have the option for one of two workouts and then also every single workout can literally be done in the comfort of your own home in a small space. I've seen people, especially during the summertime as it is, people you know, are camping. They're outside a lot. People are taking some dumbbells and they're working out outside. They're getting their workouts done wherever they're at. And so that's the beautiful thing about dumbbell workouts is that you can genuinely do them anywhere. [00:14:55][41.1]
[00:14:55] But having a plan is going to allow you that structure. So if you're interested in my program, you can learn more by going to sale. That's S-A-L-E Dot movement with Julie dot com. To learn more, gain instant access. If you are a brand new subscriber 50% off your first month. But again, if it's not my program, I don't really care. I just want you to be able to follow a plan so that you can stay consistent. [00:15:18][22.4]
[00:15:19] All right. To kind of sum it up, I want to do like a Sparks Now version that you can just kind of put it on your phone or write it down. So now would be the time to pause this and make sure that you have something to write with so that you can keep this and so you are aware of it the next time. You know, obviously, if you're listening to this and if you have a regular menstrual cycle, you're in one of these phases, but you can start slowly. [00:15:40][21.4]
[00:15:41] I know it will take time to adjust, but you can start slowly adjusting and sinking your kind of fitness routine to your menstrual cycle. So the menstrual cycle and the luteal phase, this is the time where you're going to ease off the cardio, reduce intensity, weight, reps, sets as needed, you know, drop down to three days, three or four days a week, 30, 35 minutes a day, opt for those modifications if needed. Add more workouts or duration again, depending on how you're feeling. But this is the time to really listen to your body. [00:16:09][27.8]
[00:16:09] Continue to move. Yes, but also on your body with where it's at. [00:16:12][3.0]
[00:16:13] And then the follicular and the oblation phase. This is the time to add back in that cardio, if that's a part of your routine ramp up, you know, 4 to 5 days a week, 45 to 60 minutes, if that's your normal schedule in terms of workouts, trying more sets, trying more reps, increasing your weights are really pushing, trying to implement that progressive overload and also try to push yourself in certain movements. So if you're doing a modification of a movement, try the progression of it and see how it feels, because those are going to be the weeks that you have a lot more energy and mental clarity. [00:16:44][30.8]
[00:16:44] Again, if you want to learn more about my movement with Julie app, I will link that in the show notes below. But again, just having a plan is going to be key. [00:16:52][7.7]
[00:16:53] I hope that you found this helpful. I would love to hear your aha moments from it. I would love to hear if you know more about this topic or if you've learned something from researching it. I would love to know you can shoot us a DM. Embrace Your Real account. [00:17:05][12.6]
[00:17:06] If you have a friend or a coworker or someone in your life that you feel like would really benefit from this episode or this podcast in general, I just ask that you share it out with them. You can copy the link and send it to them in a text message. You can also screenshot this and post it up on your Instagram story. We love connecting with you, but that is all for today. You so dang much. I mean it and I'll talk to you in the next one. [00:17:25][18.6]
[00:17:33] All right, sister. That's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter. Yes. It's with an A in the middle for that daily post workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it. [00:17:33][0.0]