You’ve probably seen people on your FYP talking about cycle syncing, and how it can be done with everything from nutrition to sleep to today’s topic: exercise.
At a basic level, cycle syncing is about changing your lifestyle habits according to your menstrual cycle. It can help us shift from a “push through it” mentality to a more intuitive, self-honoring mindset.
“Eastern systems of medicine truly believed that a woman’s cycle was something to be revered, and it was important that she adjusts what she’s doing, rather than powering through and doing things the same way throughout her monthly cycle,” says Dr. Tasneem Bhatia (also known as Dr. Taz), author of The Hormone Shift.
“Women were always conscious of where they were in their cycle … In western medicine, we let go of that, and we assumed a cycle was a cycle and all the nuances don’t really matter.”
But they do.
Below, we discuss the hormonal happenings in each of the four stages of your cycle—menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal—and the workouts that are best for each phase.
Important note: All cycles are different, so the timelines below are approximate, based on a 28-day cycle.
MENSTRUAL
Days 1–6
What’s going on:
- Your cycle begins on the day your period starts.
- Hormones are at their lowest.
- Your skin is extra sensitive, and symptoms like bloating, migraines, and fatigue may occur.
Movement plan:
Prioritize rest, light walks, or stretching.
FOLLICULAR
Days 7-14
What’s going on:
- Your period has ended.
- Estrogen is rising, and your ovaries are busy preparing eggs for ovulation.
- Progesterone levels begin to rise around days 12, 13, or 14 as your body gets ready for ovulation.
Movement plan:
This rise in hormones can increase your energy, so now is the time you can start ramping up your workouts with some cardio and strength training.
OVULATORY
Days 15-16
What’s going on:
- Your estrogen and energy reach their peak.
- An egg is released.
- This stage lasts around 12-24 hours.
Movement plan:
Take advantage of all your extra energy and confidence by doing high-intensity workouts like cycling, boxing, and circuit training.
LUTEAL
Days 17–28
What’s going on:
- Progesterone peaks around day 22 and then dips.
- Estrogen dips after ovulation, rises in the mid-luteal phase, and then decreases again at the end of the menstrual cycle.
- Cortisol and blood sugar may become unstable.
- PMS enters the group chat as your body prepares for a new cycle.
- Your body’s needs tend to change the most during this phase, so your mood and energy may vary from day to day.
Movement plan:
Embrace lower intensity workouts, like walking, swimming, and Pilates.
“We need rest, we need sleep, and we need exercise that works for us,” Dr. Taz says. “This is not the time to do a marathon or lift heavy weights. The body is in a resting state, it’s fatigued, and it doesn’t have a lot of reserve.”
Dr. Taz says it usually takes at least 90 days to feel a difference, and while that may seem like a long time, those three months are gonna go by anyway—might as well spend them making mindful changes.
