The YES List—How to Balance Self-Care and Working Out On Your Period
It can be easy to skip your workout when your period hits. Especially if you’re used to working out at the same intensity every day and then all of the sudden your energy tanks.
This is where the power of cycle syncing comes in.
When you allow your workouts to mirror your natural energy fluctuations, all it takes is a few minor adjustments in timing, intensity, and style to help you remain active, destress, and more effectively reach your fitness goals.
Here are a few easy ways to balance working out on your period with the need for more self-care.
Bonus→ A cycle-informed strategy can help you feel more energized, experience fewer cramps, and recover faster!
If you find yourself seeking a middle ground between skipping workouts and pushing through exercise during your period, here are a few things to say yes to when you want to keep moving during flow days.
Ritual Self-Care
When your period arrives, create a ritual around self-care and movement. Honor your physical energy and emotional current with whatever is called for on day one. This may look like rest or perhaps slow flow. It may look like heavy lifting and personal bests. When it comes to working out on your period, the best advice I have is to literally go with the flow. As you work toward pain-free periods, you might notice a shift in your period vibe with each new cycle. In large part due to what was happening in your life the week prior.
Do What Feels Good
Let go of exercise expectations during your period and do what feels good. You don’t have to give up working out on your period, but it need not be a struggle.
Timing And Duration
With hormones dropping off and energy levels that may be slow to rise, stick to under an hour for menstrual phase workouts. Depending on the intensity of your session, fuel stores can generally support 30-45 minutes of sustained effort without dipping into resource depletion and excess stress. If you can swing a late-afternoon workout with a few nutrient-dense meals on board, this is ideal as it will promote quicker recovery and support higher intensity efforts. However, if mornings are your jam, be sure to grab a pre-workout snack and stick to 30 minutes or less. Your body is in a catabolic state upon waking and fasted training or overexertion can deepen the deficit when you push too hard.
Active Rest And Gentle Movement
Your period doesn’t have to be a choice between powering through workouts and hitting pause on exercise. Supportive movement during flow days is any practice that promotes grounding and the downward flow of energy. This can come through gentle yoga, active rest, and mobility work if you’re experiencing period pain or fatigue. Walking is an excellent way to promote healthy flow and alleviate symptoms.
Strength Training And Low-Impact Cardio
When your energy levels return and symptoms subside, continue promoting healthy flow with mood-boosting strength work and low-impact cardio to improve circulation and tap the well of endorphins. Take advantage of this low-hormone window to challenge yourself and reach new fitness goals.
Build A Better Relationship With Exercise
The value of cycle syncing workouts is in developing a healthy, long-lasting relationship with exercise. When your workouts become an instrument of self-care, you’re showing up for YOU. Start looking forward to your sessions because they feel good, instead of seeking reasons to back out. Experience the upgrade in energy levels and mood that is available when the movement is just right—enough to challenge you, not so much that you feel burned out.
Our cyclical physiology influences everything from metabolism and preferred fuel source to stamina and energy. When you program your workouts to each of your cycle phases, you’re working in alignment with your body’s natural rhythm, which creates more balance overall. Leverage your hormones to work for you and you might find reduced PMS symptoms and pain-free periods are possible.
In Case You Missed It
Check out the rest of the posts in this series for everything from the most comfortable period protection to naturally pain-free periods.
Ready to try a workout plan that caters to your cycle?
Join lunae on YouTube to get access to a growing catalog with hundreds of phasic workouts and practices to support your cycle all month long.
