Learning to Work Out With Your Period, Not Around It
October 31, 2023
Writer: Reilly French
Editor: Leighton Gray
The feeling of being bloated, agitated, and cranky is never a helpful push to get yourself to the gym. Working out during your period can be dreadful, but the type of workout you do can benefit how you feel during it and the results you see later.
The ovulation cycle is typically the phase women who are trying to get pregnant focus on, and the one many women know the most about. But, each phase has key factors that impact women's health, whether on their period or off. Tracking cycle phases can help women know when they will have the most energy and when relaxation would benefit them the most. Thanks to Dr. Kudesia and Dr. Bruinvels, we now have a better understanding of when women are best able to work their hardest in and out of the gym. Dr. Kudesia is a board-certified OBGYN based out of Texas, and Dr. Bruinvels is a U.K.-based research scientist who created an app called FitrWoman. Dr. Bruinvels’s app is used by the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team to help them track their menstrual cycles.
A typical woman's cycle goes through four main stages throughout the month: menstruation, follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase (Caitlin, 2023). Each phase has its own fluctuating hormone level stage, changing how your body functions and feels. Although this concept gained popularity on TikTok, elite athletes have begun to utilize understanding their cycle to optimize their workouts. Famous training facilities, such as the one that the U.S. women's soccer team’s trainers use, are scientifically proven to help shape their athletes into prime performers, all the while working to optimize their cycles (Kindelan, 2019). Dawn Scott, the training performance coach for the U.S. Women's National Soccer team, believes that the scientists who have researched period tracking played an integral part in making her team the winners they are.
The FitrWoman app breaks down each phase for the user. With the help of the app and some greater research I was able to break this down (Poosh, 2023; Krupp, 2023; Kindelan, 2019; Brighten, 2021; Caitlin, 2023):
The first stage of the cycle (menstruation) starts when bleeding begins, lasting about 5-7 days. Research suggests that light movements, such as jogging, yoga, and stretching, are the most effective and optimizable for this stage.
The second stage is the follicular phase, during which time your body prepares to release the egg for ovulation, lasting about 6-10 days. Lighter to more intense cardio is ideal during this time, as your hormones are still low but rising, and you have less stamina. Some workout examples include jogging, barre, and pilates.
The third stage is ovulation, when your body begins to ovulate and release the egg, which results in extremely high hormone levels. High-intensity workouts, such as HIIT, boot camps, and heavy lifting, are optimal for this stage.
The last phase, the luteal phase, is when your body starts the whole cycle again. Lighter workouts are best during this time (swimming, pilates, and yoga).
Your body goes through each stage to care for you, and it’s only fair that you do the same for it. You can still change what you choose to do in each phase, of course, but for people working towards results or peak performance, this is a great way to see and feel a difference within yourself that is scientifically supported.
Work Cited:
Caitlin. (2023, October 19). How to make the most of your workouts based on your menstrual cycle - baby2body. Baby 2 Body. https://www.baby2body.com/ttc/exercise/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-workouts-based-on-your-menstrual-cycle
Dr. Jolene Brighten. (2021, February 8). How to exercise with your cycle. https://drbrighten.com/how-to-exercise-with-your-cycle/
Kindelan, K. (2019, August 8). How tracking their periods helped USA Women’s soccer team win the World Cup. Good Morning America. https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/uswnt-period-tracking-win-world-cup-64709450
Krupp, A. (2023, February 8). What is cycle syncing?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/guide-to-cycle-syncing-how-to-start#for-fitness
Poosh. (2023, October 11). Dyk: We should be working out differently for each phase of our cycle? https://poosh.com/workouts-for-each-phase-of-cycle/
