Exercise for Your Cycle 101: Follicular Phase

What’s Happening?

The follicular phase is the 7-10 day timeframe between the end of your period and ovulation. Alisa Vitti refers to the this phase as the body “waking up.” When your period is over, that is exactly what your body does. A perfectly blended hormone cocktail cues the growth cycle in the ovaries signaling follicles to emerge with a dominant follicle maturing. This inner spring brings rising energy levels—thanks to climbing estrogen and testosterone—and openness to new experiences.

Hormones + Metabolism

The clearest marker of your follicular phase is feeling more mentally and emotionally open as a result of increasing estrogen hormones. If you’re feeling creative, social, or inspired to try something new—you might be in your follicular phase. Metabolism slows allowing you to enjoy higher energy exertion without depleting resources. 

Body

With estrogen hormones on the rise after your period, energy levels resume and brain activity heightens. This increase can also balance the effect of stress hormones in the body giving you a greater sense of ease. In this wet phase you will begin to notice more cervical fluid continuing through ovulation. Fluid will be thick and have a creamy texture.

Exercise

Get your blood flowing with aerobic movement. With a slower baseline metabolism, you may find that cardiovascular workouts don’t leave you feeling burned out. Gradually increase intensity throughout this phase to match your energy level in preparation for the high-performance ovulatory phase.

A word of gentle caution as you approach exercise in this high-energy phase: stick to 30 minutes for the height of your exertion to maximize efforts without depletion.

How to Move

• Steady-State Cardio

  Focus on a steady-state effort without becoming breathless to burn fat and improve heart health—no need to log hours on a treadmill.

• New Movement Patterns + Sports

  This is a perfect time to try new movement patterns or sports. Been dying to visit the pickle ball court? Go for it! Your body’s chemistry during the follicular phase is optimal for beginnings. If you are trying to create a new habit around exercise, now is the time.

• Bodyweight Intervals

  Incorporate full body and compound movement patterns using bodyweight to get your blood pumping.

• Vinyasa Yoga

  The follicular phase is a great opportunity to practice fluid yoga sequences and explore deeper pose variations. Get playful with inversions and arm balances to tap into your creative strength.

• Barre + Dance

  Now is a time when you might be feeling especially magnetic—try out a new dance class or target long, lean muscles using light weights in barre.

When to Move

Estrogen dips around midday while cortisol is elevated—perfect timing for a lunch break workout.