Cycle Syncing Workouts - A Guide For Women

February 11, 2024

What are cycle syncing workouts? Why do I feel so tired during my period? What are the benefits of cycle syncing workouts? How do I adjust my workouts in alignment with my menstrual cycle? If you are wondering how to start exercising more effectively, you are in the right place!

Hi, I am Katie Lister, a practicing Registered Nurse and the founder of Growth Gals. Here at Growth Gals, we provide resources to help you live intentionally, improve your mental wellbeing, navigate relationships, and create healthy habits. This article will provide the information you need to know about cycle syncing workouts.

Katie Lister

Written by Katie Lister, RN, BScN. An experienced Registered Nurse, Group Facilitator, Life Coach, and Community Leader. Read Katie's Full Author Bio

What Are Cycle Syncing Workouts?

Do you wonder why a workout this week feels easier than last week? Or why one day you feel so energized and the next lethargic? Hormonal changes in your menstrual cycle affect your sleep, sex drive, energy levels, and mood often explain these variances.

One way to deal with these hormonal shifts is through the cycle-syncing method. Cycle syncing aligns your diet, workouts, and lifestyle with each menstrual cycle phase to balance hormones and reduce PMS symptoms, acne, painful periods, and fertility issues.

Developed by Alissa Vitti, the cycle syncing practice supports each hormone fluctuation’s unique needs. Vitti also authored a book on women’s health, The Woman Code, and developed a period-tracking app, MyFlo.

A menstrual cycle is on average 28 days long with four distinct phases. Each phase has different hormonal level fluctuations that affect your energy, mood, and libido. Cycle syncing workouts take into consideration the four different phases of the menstrual cycle:

Menstruation Phase

The first day of your menstrual cycle is the first day of your period. During this time, your sex hormones-estrogen and progesterone levels remain low as your uterus sheds its lining. During menstruation, you may experience breast tenderness, cramping, insomnia, and fatigue.

Follicular Phase

The follicular phase lasts about 16 days, depending on your cycle. It stimulates the ovaries to produce several tiny sacs called follicles containing an immature egg. The maturing follicle produces estrogen, which thickens the lining of your uterus, creating a nutrient-rich environment ready for pregnancy.

What are the best follicular phase foods? Find out here.

Ovulation Phase

In the follicular phase, rising estrogen levels trigger the luteinizing hormone (LH), triggering ovulation. In this phase, your ovary releases a mature egg that travels to the uterus for sperm fertilization.

Ovulation is the most fertile phase, approximately day 14 of a 28-day cycle. It lasts about 24 hours, during which you may notice symptoms such as a slight rise in basal body temperature or a thicker discharge. If the egg remains unfertilized, it dissolves or dies.

Luteal Phase

In the luteal phase, if you do not get pregnant, your body prepares for another menstrual cycle. Your progesterone levels rise and cause PMS symptoms like breast tenderness, bloating, and mood swings. The luteal phase lasts 11-17 days, on average, 14 days.

What are the best luteal phase foods? This article has he answers.

The Benefits of Cycle Syncing Your Exercises

Tailoring your exercise regimen to your menstrual cycle can improve fitness and well-being. Hormonal changes throughout the cycle affect metabolism, energy levels, and strength. Adapting your workouts to these changes can optimize the benefits of your regimen. Here are some of the benefits of cycle syncing your workouts:

It optimizes your exercise routine

Cycle syncing your workouts with your menstrual cycle helps you to optimize your workout routine and achieve better results. By promoting muscle growth and improving muscle recovery, cycle syncing can enhance your performance and help you become stronger and fitter.

Weight loss

Cycle-syncing workouts can benefit your weight loss regimen by promoting healthier exercise habits. You must understand that various factors, such as genetics, diet, and lifestyle, influence weight loss. Cycle-syncing workouts alone cannot guarantee weight loss but can be a productive part of a comprehensive weight-loss strategy.

Get in tune with your body

You get to learn your body, pre-empt what each phase of your cycle will be like, and exercise accordingly. According to what phase you are in, you can also ensure you eat the right foods and take supplements to get the much-needed nutrients.

How to Adjust Workouts For Every Menstrual Phase

During menstruation, women may experience varying workout quality due to hormonal fluctuations. Here is how to adjust your workouts per menstrual phase:

Menstrual phase workouts

Light exercise can reduce discomfort and match your energy levels when you have your period. Exercise can alleviate cramps, improve energy, and balance your moods. Although you may feel like staying in bed, getting up and moving is recommended. Incorporate rest and recovery in this phase by doing light exercises like gentle yoga or walking.

Follicular phase workouts

Hormonal changes in this phase include estrogen climbing and increased testosterone approaching ovulation, making muscle building easier. This phase is ideal for cardio and strength training. By day 3 of your cycle, energy and exercise stamina increase due to continual rising estrogen levels..

Your exercise performance is lower at the beginning of this phase but improves toward ovulation. Get back into your workouts with strength training, moderate cardio, and hike longer and faster.

Ovulation phase workouts

During ovulation, typically around the end of the second week to the beginning of the third week of a menstrual cycle, most women can withstand higher exertion levels than at other times of the month.

Your workout performance and muscle strength are at their best due to a testosterone spike. Get into more intense resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts during this phase.

Luteal phase workouts

You may experience changes in your tolerance and performance after ovulation or before your period due to water retention and difficulty cooling down. Wear breathable clothing, stay hydrated, and exercise in a cool and well-ventilated environment.

As your progesterone rises, your energy levels dip, making high-intensity workouts more challenging. You can continue with low-impact exercises like Pilates and strength training.

Does Cycle syncing food benefit my cycle? This article has all the answers.

The Best Workouts for Cycle Syncing

Syncing your exercise routine to your menstrual cycle is more than syncing with menses. Here are activities tailored to each cycle phase based on your hormonal changes.

Best workouts for the menstruation phase

Contrary to what some people think, it’s safe to exercise during your period and can help alleviate some symptoms. The stress hormone cortisol may also spike during this phase, which reduces with exercise. Working out also triggers the production of endorphins, which are mood boosters and natural pain relievers.

The types of workouts you can do during this phase include:

Walking/hiking
Yoga
Pilates
Stretching

Listen to your body; don’t overdo it if you’re tired or cramping.

Best workouts for the Follicular Phase

After your period, the levels of hormones in your body start to increase. During this time, higher estrogen and testosterone levels make it an ideal time for weight training. Try exercises that involve resistance training, such as:

Running
Cycling
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Weight training

Best workouts for the ovulatory phase

During ovulation, you might experience hormone peaks that can make you feel extra energetic. This phase is an excellent time to engage in physical activities. Any exercise that can help you burn extra calories and sweat a little more during this phase is perfect. Here are a few exercises that you can incorporate during the ovulatory phase:

Swimming
Cycling
Weight lifting
Higher-intensity interval training
Running

Best exercises for the luteal phase

During the luteal phase, you may feel sluggish due to the rising progesterone and dipping estrogen levels. You may have better energy levels at the start but feel tired towards the end. Listen to your body and do what feels right for you. If your endurance decreases, it’s normal. Here are some of the types of exercises you can incorporate into your fitness routine:

Walking or hiking
Low impact cardio
Swimming
Yoga
Pilates

It may be difficult for women on hormonal birth control methods to practice cycle-syncing workouts. This is because the use of contraceptives can alter the menstrual cycle, affecting the ability of the reproductive system to experience the normal menstrual phases. Women may experience amenorrhea or a complete loss of periods.

Regular workouts and ensuring you eat right can have a positive impact on your hormones.

Cycle Syncing Workouts: How Growth Gals Can Help

Our aim at Growth Gals is to inspire women to reach their full potential. We aim to create positive change by giving women the resources to discover their true selves and expand their knowledge base on various topics such as healthy lifestyle tips, mental wellbeing, and living intentionally.

Growth Gals helps women overcome obstacles and make informed decisions. Subscribe to the newsletter to access helpful tools to assist you in your personal growth journey. Learn more about how we can support you and help you learn more about cycle syncing workouts by signing up below or reaching out to us directly.

Conclusion

In the cycle-syncing workout method, you adjust your exercise routine to suit your menstrual cycle. You choose the type of exercises to incorporate into your routine depending on your current menstrual phase. This method can help you optimize your workout routine, lose weight, and learn how to read your body. Joining a community like Growth Gals will help you learn more about cycle syncing and how to incorporate your workouts into your menstrual phases.