Training around your Menstrual Cycle

Many of us menstruating women work hard to sustain our fitness routine without acknowledging our menstrual cycle. In fact, for decades, the fitness industry at large has failed to recognise the role of the menstrual cycle in relation to training and performance. People who have periods go through so many hormonal changes and yet we often train as though these changes don’t exist. We brush off menstrual symptoms such as ovulation pain, menstrual bleeding, headaches, mood changes and blood sugar changes. But not only may this lead to suboptimal training, it may also impact self esteem, leaving us wondering why our train pattern feels so inconsistent.  

Well, thankfully the industry is moving forward and knowledge on how to train alongside your menstrual cycle is becoming more mainstream.

In the words of Stacey Simms, ‘women are not small men’, so it’s important that we train in the best way for us.

So what does the female menstrual cycle look like?

There are four main phases of the menstrual cycle; the menstrual phase, follicular phase, ovulation phase and luteal phase. The exact lengths of each phase depend on the individual and can change over time, but generally the total cycle lasts four weeks. There are three key hormones that influence these phases: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Let’s breakdown each phase:

Menstrual Phase

The menstrual phase is the first stage of the menstrual cycle, when you get your period. Your body sheds the lining of the uterus which results in bleeding. Each person will experience bleeding to different degrees, but as well as bleeding you may also experience cramping, headaches, tiredness, bloating, mood changes, and lower back pain

During your menstrual phase, you may find that less intense forms of movement feel more comfortable for you. If you’re bleeding heavily or fatigued, high intensity workouts may feel too demanding. Exercise such as walking, yoga, pilates, rowing, dance, steady state cardio (think 30 minutes steady work on the watt bike) or a mobility session may feel more comfortable. 

Follicular Phase

The follicular phase overlaps your menstrual phase and ends when you ovulate. This phase lasts around 16 days, and is characterised by an increase in oestrogen which thickens the lining of the womb. 

During this phase, hormonally your body is ready to maximise hard training efforts. This means that it’s a perfect time for those high intensity workouts! Think runs, CrossFit, HIIT workouts, spin classes. If you’re looking to build muscle, this phase is ideal for this and so hypertrophy or strength gym sessions will support you in this goal.

If you’re looking to build muscle, this phase is ideal for this and so hypertrophy or strength gym sessions will support you in this goal.

Ovulation Phase

After the rising oestrogen levels of the follicular phase, the ovaries release a mature egg. This is the phase where you’re able to get pregnant, if your egg is fertilised by sperm. During this phase you may experience a slight raise in temperature, discharge and discomfort or pain. On the most part though, you may feel energised to continue with the higher intensity workouts of the Follicular phase, so running, jumping, HIIT, powerlifting could serve you well during this phase. However, if you are experiencing discomfort during this phase, it may be wise to dial it back and continue with the movement you love, but slightly decrease the intensity (a jog rather than a fast run, or endurance work over HIIT). 

Luteal Phase

After your egg is released, if you’ve not become pregnant, you’ll see a decrease in both progesterone and oestrogen which causes the onset of your period. And so the cycle repeats!

During this phase you may experience Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), whose symptoms include breast tenderness, headaches, mood changes, bloating, sleep changes, weight gain and changes to sex drive.

During this phase, you may need to move to more restorative practices such as Yin Yoga in order to decrease the pace of your movement to manage your symptoms. 

If you do have regular periods that you are able to monitor, it may be worth modifying your training around your cycles in order to provide your body with what it needs during each phase of the cycle. If you do not have a regular cycle or you are unable to modify your training around your cycle (e.g. if you are a competitive athlete), you can still be mindful of your symptoms and adapt your effort levels depending on how you’re feeling. Being aware of how you feel physically and mentally will allow you to optimise your training by pushing when the time is right and pulling back when your body needs it. 

*This insight is based on regular 28 day cycles. Every person is different and even your own menstrual cycle can change over time. This insight also does not factor in birth control, pregnancy, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), fibroids and more.