Cycle syncing is the practice of aligning physical activity and lifestyle with the different phases of your menstrual cycle. Here are some benefits:
Increased Energy and Productivity: By aligning tasks with hormonal fluctuations, you can harness higher energy levels during certain phases for more demanding tasks, while focusing on rest and reflection during others.
Improved Mood: Understanding the emotional changes that can occur throughout the cycle helps you anticipate and manage what your body needs.
Optimized Exercise: Adjusting workout routines to match energy levels can improve performance and motivation.
Better Sleep: Being mindful of hormonal changes can help you establish routines that support better sleep, especially during phases when hormones might disrupt rest.
Stress Management: Understanding how the body responds to stress throughout the cycle can help in implementing effective stress-reduction techniques at the right times and help you optimize your month.
Being in flow with the natural rhythm of your body can help balance hormones, reduce PMS, and improve nervous system resiliency. For instance, you might not realize that hard cardio and HIIT workouts in the luteal and bleed phases of your cycle actually turn on fat storage and increase the stress-hormone cortisol. This cortisol release can set you up for a more painful period and PMS symptoms.
The body is so intelligent and once you learn how to be in flow with your hormones throughout the month, everything gets easier.
I highly recommend tracking your cycle in an app like Flo and remember that day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period.
How to cycle sync:
Bleed phase (days 1-5)
The bleed phase is like winter in your body. For the first few days of your period it’s best to take it easy and spend quiet time. Resting, walking, yin yoga, or stretching are ways to incorporate gentle movement and make sure to get plenty of sleep. Sometimes women feel like they will lag behind on their fitness goals if they take 3 days off from vigorous exercise but think of it like a rubber band. When you listen to your body and rest you may feel like you’re taking a couple steps backward, only to be propelled even farther when you exercise again. Most women feel even stronger and more energized in the follicular phase when they tune into their body’s needs and slow down during the bleed phase.
Follicular phase (around days 4- 11)
Energy should be high in the follicular phase. It’s a great time to lift weights and incorporate more vigorous activity like cardio. You may feel more social and notice that your body handles stress, caffeine, or alcohol easier. Think of this like springtime in your body.
Ovulatory phase (around days 11-15)
Ovulation is when energy levels are at their peak and it’s okay to push yourself a little more. If you are going for a new PR at the gym or wanting to try a harder workout class, this is the time. Let's say you’ve had a long day at work and are trying to decide if you have the motivation/energy to exercise. It’s okay to push yourself and exercise anyway in this phase. This is also a great time to plan presentations for work and social events/vacations. The ovulatory phase is like summer in the body.
Luteal phase (around days 15-28)
The luteal phase is like autumn in your body. While your energy should still be high, you don’t want to push yourself too hard especially as you get closer to your period. This is a good time to continue lifting weights but hold off on vigorous cardio and HIIT. Walking, pilates, and yoga are great during the luteal phase and make sure to rest or get extra sleep/rest if you need it. This is also the time to decrease or eliminate alcohol and caffeine and say no to events you don’t feel like going to to set you up for a painless, easy period.
Curious to know more? Listen to this podcast:
Almost 30, Ep. 293, “Biohacking your Hormones with Alisa Vitti” which is all about how to leverage cycle syncing, if you like this episode check out her book “In the Flo”
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