Exercising during your menstrual cycle
Effectively manage symptoms and bring your a-game!
It’s the week before your period, and the struggle is real. Your oestrogen and progesterone hormones are ramping up, and suddenly... you no longer feel like yourself.
Mood swings, tiredness, bloating and hunger pangs are making everything difficult, including your training. It’s not just your motivation that’s lacking, you also feel physically depleted.
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In order to understand the best way to exercise effectively during your menstrual cycle, you need to get to know your cycle.
Understanding your menstrual cycle
Although there isn’t a ‘typical’ menstrual cycle, we can break it down into two broad phases:
- The follicular stage (when your period starts until ovulation)
- The luteal phase (from ovulation until your next period starts)
During the follicular stage, your body produces more estrogen which may boost your energy levels and increase your stamina for exercise. When your body enters the luteal phase, you produce more progesterone so you may feel more tired and also warmer than usual.
In order to know exactly what works for you and your body, try tracking your period and your experiences with exercise during your cycle.
How to exercise during the different stages of your cycle
Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say exactly what you should or shouldn’t do. There’s also very little research done into the menstrual cycle’s role in athletic performance. With that being said, here are some very loose guidelines:
Follicular stage
- Use the extra energy for more high-intensity exercise, such as HIIT training, circuit training and strength training / weightlifting
Luteal phase
- Focus on lighter activities like yoga, pilates, walking and cycling to help reduce PMS symptoms
4 ways to manage menstrual cycle symptoms to boost exercise performance
Increase your electrolytes
If you have a big workout or competition during the PMS phase of your cycle, preloading your system with electrolytes will help.
Adding sodium-rich fluids the evening before will raise your blood plasma volume and V02 levels, leading to less cardiac effort and more aerobic power. This, in turn, makes it easier to cool down. Great options include chicken broth, miso soup, or a sports drink with high sodium.
Manage inflammation
What we eat impacts our body and well-being. If your body is inflamed due to poor nutrition, then it's very likely you will experience painful stomach cramps. The fix? A diet low in processed foods (vegetable oil, sugar, cheese bread) and high in omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish such as salmon, eggs, flax seeds, walnuts, spinach).
.jpg)
If you hone in on your nutrition, especially 7 to 10 days before your period begins, you’ll notice a dramatic decrease in inflammation.
Supplements are another great option. Dr. Stacy Sims recommends taking 1 gram of Omega-3s, 45 milligrams of zinc, and 200 milligrams of magnesium in the evening. You can also add 80 milligrams of aspirin or white willow bark. These supplements will help decrease inflammation, bleeding and other PMS symptoms.
Increase your blood sugar levels
You burn more calories during your premenstrual phase, so it’s only natural your body keeps your hunger hormones working overtime. Instead of inhaling that XL pizza, increase your unprocessed carb intake during certain meals!
Use music to boost your mood
It's proven that music positively affects our performance. So, when you’re feeling lethargic, tell Alexa to play your favourite song to get you fired up and feeling happy! Get creative and make a go-to playlist. It really helps!
.jpg)
NEW TIMINGS, DAYS & CLASSES! PLEASE CHECK MINDBODY FOR THE SCHEDULE AND CLASS DETAILS!
ENGINE
We are putting into practice the pacing strategies we learned in the last two weeks' EMOM style. This week, we will ski, Bike, and row.
GYMNASTICS
Hanging from the bar and getting upside down is what is happening in gymnastics this week. We will be breaking down the bar muscle-up and focusing on the movement technique; then, we will move to some handstand walks again, breaking down the movement and spending some time walking on our hands!
HYROX
For all levels: learning to recover on the run after a hard station. Hyrox Strength work into short runs.
MOBILITY
This week we continue with hip mobility moving into ankle mobility & foot stability drills, with shoulder mobility finisher.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with some deadlift doubles and some heavy single-leg work and finish off with a “Rump Pump”. Wednesday, we will progress in loading the Close Grip Bench Press and work through a little t-shirt filler to end the session.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week, the focus is on Clean and Jerks, where we will be hitting some clusters and then Clean Doubles into 1 Jerk!
Track Tuesday
We begin set 1 of our over/under block. This is all about threshold!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
We return to outdoor intervals this week! Some strength work into Vo2 max, 90min session!
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
A fartlek session into some 8min blocks this week. A tough run that will deliver some big stimulus!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Brick
Start time: 5:29 am
Our tri season opener! Get in touch with tw@innerfight.com to find out the plan.
.jpg)
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
This week we will be holding that 7/10 feeling for 8 min blocks with a 3 mins recovery.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
800m of over/unders is on the menu today. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
Today we will cycle through 1 min on/off intervals. Keep the 1 min off nice and easy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
After some strides we will have some longer tempo blocks for you here.
.jpg)
We are kicking off the week with some technique work on the Hang Power Snatch before diving into a triplet of Wall Balls, Rowing and Burpees. Tuesday is focused on our strict pulling strength and some heavy Jerks in the skill and the workout. Wednesday will be a tough leg day with the Zercher squat and a heavy Dumbbell workout. Thursday, we have some TTB skill work and then an ascending and descending AMRAP to get through. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Deadlifts into a savage workout with the barbell!
Monday:
Strength:
A) Snatch Grip DL + Hang Snatch Pull + Hang Muscle Snatch
B) Hang Power Snatch
Conditioning:
In a 12-minute window 3 rounds
21 wall balls
15 cal row
9 burpee over the rower
Max cal row in the remaining time
Tuesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B Push Jerk & % of Pull-Ups from Part A
Conditioning:
3 min amrap
3 STOH ( 60/45)
10 pull-ups
15 box jump
rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Strength:
Zercher Squats
Conditioning:
22 mins AMRAP
16 suitcase reverse lunge (2x50/35)
50 DU
8 dual DB Front Squat
Park Run
Thursday:
Strength:
A) TTB
B) Incline DB Bench Press & % of TTB from Part A
Conditioning:
9 min Amrap
3 push-ups on DBS
3 Alt renegade rows (2x50/35)
3 cal ski
(+ 3 reps on each movement each round)
Rest 3 mins
For time: AMRAP in reverse
Friday:
Strength:
A) Deadlift
Conditioning:
Therapyyyyyyy, we carry over the barbell into a savage workout! One you do not want to miss!
It’s the week before your period, and the struggle is real. Your oestrogen and progesterone hormones are ramping up, and suddenly... you no longer feel like yourself.
Mood swings, tiredness, bloating and hunger pangs are making everything difficult, including your training. It’s not just your motivation that’s lacking, you also feel physically depleted.
In order to understand the best way to exercise effectively during your menstrual cycle, you need to get to know your cycle.
Understanding your menstrual cycle
Although there isn’t a ‘typical’ menstrual cycle, we can break it down into two broad phases:
- The follicular stage (when your period starts until ovulation)
- The luteal phase (from ovulation until your next period starts)
During the follicular stage, your body produces more estrogen which may boost your energy levels and increase your stamina for exercise. When your body enters the luteal phase, you produce more progesterone so you may feel more tired and also warmer than usual.
In order to know exactly what works for you and your body, try tracking your period and your experiences with exercise during your cycle.
How to exercise during the different stages of your cycle
Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say exactly what you should or shouldn’t do. There’s also very little research done into the menstrual cycle’s role in athletic performance. With that being said, here are some very loose guidelines:
Follicular stage
- Use the extra energy for more high-intensity exercise, such as HIIT training, circuit training and strength training / weightlifting
Luteal phase
- Focus on lighter activities like yoga, pilates, walking and cycling to help reduce PMS symptoms
4 ways to manage menstrual cycle symptoms to boost exercise performance
Increase your electrolytes
If you have a big workout or competition during the PMS phase of your cycle, preloading your system with electrolytes will help.
Adding sodium-rich fluids the evening before will raise your blood plasma volume and V02 levels, leading to less cardiac effort and more aerobic power. This, in turn, makes it easier to cool down. Great options include chicken broth, miso soup, or a sports drink with high sodium.
Manage inflammation
What we eat impacts our body and well-being. If your body is inflamed due to poor nutrition, then it's very likely you will experience painful stomach cramps. The fix? A diet low in processed foods (vegetable oil, sugar, cheese bread) and high in omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish such as salmon, eggs, flax seeds, walnuts, spinach).
If you hone in on your nutrition, especially 7 to 10 days before your period begins, you’ll notice a dramatic decrease in inflammation.
Supplements are another great option. Dr. Stacy Sims recommends taking 1 gram of Omega-3s, 45 milligrams of zinc, and 200 milligrams of magnesium in the evening. You can also add 80 milligrams of aspirin or white willow bark. These supplements will help decrease inflammation, bleeding and other PMS symptoms.
Increase your blood sugar levels
You burn more calories during your premenstrual phase, so it’s only natural your body keeps your hunger hormones working overtime. Instead of inhaling that XL pizza, increase your unprocessed carb intake during certain meals!
Use music to boost your mood
It's proven that music positively affects our performance. So, when you’re feeling lethargic, tell Alexa to play your favourite song to get you fired up and feeling happy! Get creative and make a go-to playlist. It really helps!
Track Tuesday
We begin set 1 of our over/under block. This is all about threshold!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
We return to outdoor intervals this week! Some strength work into Vo2 max, 90min session!
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
A fartlek session into some 8min blocks this week. A tough run that will deliver some big stimulus!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Brick
Start time: 5:29 am
Our tri season opener! Get in touch with tw@innerfight.com to find out the plan.
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
This week we will be holding that 7/10 feeling for 8 min blocks with a 3 mins recovery.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
800m of over/unders is on the menu today. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
Today we will cycle through 1 min on/off intervals. Keep the 1 min off nice and easy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
After some strides we will have some longer tempo blocks for you here.
We are kicking off the week with some technique work on the Hang Power Snatch before diving into a triplet of Wall Balls, Rowing and Burpees. Tuesday is focused on our strict pulling strength and some heavy Jerks in the skill and the workout. Wednesday will be a tough leg day with the Zercher squat and a heavy Dumbbell workout. Thursday, we have some TTB skill work and then an ascending and descending AMRAP to get through. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Deadlifts into a savage workout with the barbell!
Monday:
Strength:
A) Snatch Grip DL + Hang Snatch Pull + Hang Muscle Snatch
B) Hang Power Snatch
Conditioning:
In a 12-minute window 3 rounds
21 wall balls
15 cal row
9 burpee over the rower
Max cal row in the remaining time
Tuesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B Push Jerk & % of Pull-Ups from Part A
Conditioning:
3 min amrap
3 STOH ( 60/45)
10 pull-ups
15 box jump
rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Strength:
Zercher Squats
Conditioning:
22 mins AMRAP
16 suitcase reverse lunge (2x50/35)
50 DU
8 dual DB Front Squat
Park Run
Thursday:
Strength:
A) TTB
B) Incline DB Bench Press & % of TTB from Part A
Conditioning:
9 min Amrap
3 push-ups on DBS
3 Alt renegade rows (2x50/35)
3 cal ski
(+ 3 reps on each movement each round)
Rest 3 mins
For time: AMRAP in reverse
Friday:
Strength:
A) Deadlift
Conditioning:
Therapyyyyyyy, we carry over the barbell into a savage workout! One you do not want to miss!
NEW TIMINGS, DAYS & CLASSES! PLEASE CHECK MINDBODY FOR THE SCHEDULE AND CLASS DETAILS!
ENGINE
We are putting into practice the pacing strategies we learned in the last two weeks' EMOM style. This week, we will ski, Bike, and row.
GYMNASTICS
Hanging from the bar and getting upside down is what is happening in gymnastics this week. We will be breaking down the bar muscle-up and focusing on the movement technique; then, we will move to some handstand walks again, breaking down the movement and spending some time walking on our hands!
HYROX
For all levels: learning to recover on the run after a hard station. Hyrox Strength work into short runs.
MOBILITY
This week we continue with hip mobility moving into ankle mobility & foot stability drills, with shoulder mobility finisher.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with some deadlift doubles and some heavy single-leg work and finish off with a “Rump Pump”. Wednesday, we will progress in loading the Close Grip Bench Press and work through a little t-shirt filler to end the session.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week, the focus is on Clean and Jerks, where we will be hitting some clusters and then Clean Doubles into 1 Jerk!
It’s the week before your period, and the struggle is real. Your oestrogen and progesterone hormones are ramping up, and suddenly... you no longer feel like yourself.
Mood swings, tiredness, bloating and hunger pangs are making everything difficult, including your training. It’s not just your motivation that’s lacking, you also feel physically depleted.
In order to understand the best way to exercise effectively during your menstrual cycle, you need to get to know your cycle.
Understanding your menstrual cycle
Although there isn’t a ‘typical’ menstrual cycle, we can break it down into two broad phases:
- The follicular stage (when your period starts until ovulation)
- The luteal phase (from ovulation until your next period starts)
During the follicular stage, your body produces more estrogen which may boost your energy levels and increase your stamina for exercise. When your body enters the luteal phase, you produce more progesterone so you may feel more tired and also warmer than usual.
In order to know exactly what works for you and your body, try tracking your period and your experiences with exercise during your cycle.
How to exercise during the different stages of your cycle
Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say exactly what you should or shouldn’t do. There’s also very little research done into the menstrual cycle’s role in athletic performance. With that being said, here are some very loose guidelines:
Follicular stage
- Use the extra energy for more high-intensity exercise, such as HIIT training, circuit training and strength training / weightlifting
Luteal phase
- Focus on lighter activities like yoga, pilates, walking and cycling to help reduce PMS symptoms
4 ways to manage menstrual cycle symptoms to boost exercise performance
Increase your electrolytes
If you have a big workout or competition during the PMS phase of your cycle, preloading your system with electrolytes will help.
Adding sodium-rich fluids the evening before will raise your blood plasma volume and V02 levels, leading to less cardiac effort and more aerobic power. This, in turn, makes it easier to cool down. Great options include chicken broth, miso soup, or a sports drink with high sodium.
Manage inflammation
What we eat impacts our body and well-being. If your body is inflamed due to poor nutrition, then it's very likely you will experience painful stomach cramps. The fix? A diet low in processed foods (vegetable oil, sugar, cheese bread) and high in omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish such as salmon, eggs, flax seeds, walnuts, spinach).
If you hone in on your nutrition, especially 7 to 10 days before your period begins, you’ll notice a dramatic decrease in inflammation.
Supplements are another great option. Dr. Stacy Sims recommends taking 1 gram of Omega-3s, 45 milligrams of zinc, and 200 milligrams of magnesium in the evening. You can also add 80 milligrams of aspirin or white willow bark. These supplements will help decrease inflammation, bleeding and other PMS symptoms.
Increase your blood sugar levels
You burn more calories during your premenstrual phase, so it’s only natural your body keeps your hunger hormones working overtime. Instead of inhaling that XL pizza, increase your unprocessed carb intake during certain meals!
Use music to boost your mood
It's proven that music positively affects our performance. So, when you’re feeling lethargic, tell Alexa to play your favourite song to get you fired up and feeling happy! Get creative and make a go-to playlist. It really helps!
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
This week we will be holding that 7/10 feeling for 8 min blocks with a 3 mins recovery.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
800m of over/unders is on the menu today. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
Today we will cycle through 1 min on/off intervals. Keep the 1 min off nice and easy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
After some strides we will have some longer tempo blocks for you here.
We are kicking off the week with some technique work on the Hang Power Snatch before diving into a triplet of Wall Balls, Rowing and Burpees. Tuesday is focused on our strict pulling strength and some heavy Jerks in the skill and the workout. Wednesday will be a tough leg day with the Zercher squat and a heavy Dumbbell workout. Thursday, we have some TTB skill work and then an ascending and descending AMRAP to get through. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Deadlifts into a savage workout with the barbell!
Monday:
Strength:
A) Snatch Grip DL + Hang Snatch Pull + Hang Muscle Snatch
B) Hang Power Snatch
Conditioning:
In a 12-minute window 3 rounds
21 wall balls
15 cal row
9 burpee over the rower
Max cal row in the remaining time
Tuesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B Push Jerk & % of Pull-Ups from Part A
Conditioning:
3 min amrap
3 STOH ( 60/45)
10 pull-ups
15 box jump
rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Strength:
Zercher Squats
Conditioning:
22 mins AMRAP
16 suitcase reverse lunge (2x50/35)
50 DU
8 dual DB Front Squat
Park Run
Thursday:
Strength:
A) TTB
B) Incline DB Bench Press & % of TTB from Part A
Conditioning:
9 min Amrap
3 push-ups on DBS
3 Alt renegade rows (2x50/35)
3 cal ski
(+ 3 reps on each movement each round)
Rest 3 mins
For time: AMRAP in reverse
Friday:
Strength:
A) Deadlift
Conditioning:
Therapyyyyyyy, we carry over the barbell into a savage workout! One you do not want to miss!
NEW TIMINGS, DAYS & CLASSES! PLEASE CHECK MINDBODY FOR THE SCHEDULE AND CLASS DETAILS!
ENGINE
We are putting into practice the pacing strategies we learned in the last two weeks' EMOM style. This week, we will ski, Bike, and row.
GYMNASTICS
Hanging from the bar and getting upside down is what is happening in gymnastics this week. We will be breaking down the bar muscle-up and focusing on the movement technique; then, we will move to some handstand walks again, breaking down the movement and spending some time walking on our hands!
HYROX
For all levels: learning to recover on the run after a hard station. Hyrox Strength work into short runs.
MOBILITY
This week we continue with hip mobility moving into ankle mobility & foot stability drills, with shoulder mobility finisher.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with some deadlift doubles and some heavy single-leg work and finish off with a “Rump Pump”. Wednesday, we will progress in loading the Close Grip Bench Press and work through a little t-shirt filler to end the session.
WEIGHTLIFTING
This week, the focus is on Clean and Jerks, where we will be hitting some clusters and then Clean Doubles into 1 Jerk!
Track Tuesday
We begin set 1 of our over/under block. This is all about threshold!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
We return to outdoor intervals this week! Some strength work into Vo2 max, 90min session!
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
A fartlek session into some 8min blocks this week. A tough run that will deliver some big stimulus!
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Brick
Start time: 5:29 am
Our tri season opener! Get in touch with tw@innerfight.com to find out the plan.
It’s the week before your period, and the struggle is real. Your oestrogen and progesterone hormones are ramping up, and suddenly... you no longer feel like yourself.
Mood swings, tiredness, bloating and hunger pangs are making everything difficult, including your training. It’s not just your motivation that’s lacking, you also feel physically depleted.
In order to understand the best way to exercise effectively during your menstrual cycle, you need to get to know your cycle.
Understanding your menstrual cycle
Although there isn’t a ‘typical’ menstrual cycle, we can break it down into two broad phases:
- The follicular stage (when your period starts until ovulation)
- The luteal phase (from ovulation until your next period starts)
During the follicular stage, your body produces more estrogen which may boost your energy levels and increase your stamina for exercise. When your body enters the luteal phase, you produce more progesterone so you may feel more tired and also warmer than usual.
In order to know exactly what works for you and your body, try tracking your period and your experiences with exercise during your cycle.
How to exercise during the different stages of your cycle
Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say exactly what you should or shouldn’t do. There’s also very little research done into the menstrual cycle’s role in athletic performance. With that being said, here are some very loose guidelines:
Follicular stage
- Use the extra energy for more high-intensity exercise, such as HIIT training, circuit training and strength training / weightlifting
Luteal phase
- Focus on lighter activities like yoga, pilates, walking and cycling to help reduce PMS symptoms
4 ways to manage menstrual cycle symptoms to boost exercise performance
Increase your electrolytes
If you have a big workout or competition during the PMS phase of your cycle, preloading your system with electrolytes will help.
Adding sodium-rich fluids the evening before will raise your blood plasma volume and V02 levels, leading to less cardiac effort and more aerobic power. This, in turn, makes it easier to cool down. Great options include chicken broth, miso soup, or a sports drink with high sodium.
Manage inflammation
What we eat impacts our body and well-being. If your body is inflamed due to poor nutrition, then it's very likely you will experience painful stomach cramps. The fix? A diet low in processed foods (vegetable oil, sugar, cheese bread) and high in omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish such as salmon, eggs, flax seeds, walnuts, spinach).
If you hone in on your nutrition, especially 7 to 10 days before your period begins, you’ll notice a dramatic decrease in inflammation.
Supplements are another great option. Dr. Stacy Sims recommends taking 1 gram of Omega-3s, 45 milligrams of zinc, and 200 milligrams of magnesium in the evening. You can also add 80 milligrams of aspirin or white willow bark. These supplements will help decrease inflammation, bleeding and other PMS symptoms.
Increase your blood sugar levels
You burn more calories during your premenstrual phase, so it’s only natural your body keeps your hunger hormones working overtime. Instead of inhaling that XL pizza, increase your unprocessed carb intake during certain meals!
Use music to boost your mood
It's proven that music positively affects our performance. So, when you’re feeling lethargic, tell Alexa to play your favourite song to get you fired up and feeling happy! Get creative and make a go-to playlist. It really helps!
It’s the week before your period, and the struggle is real. Your oestrogen and progesterone hormones are ramping up, and suddenly... you no longer feel like yourself.
Mood swings, tiredness, bloating and hunger pangs are making everything difficult, including your training. It’s not just your motivation that’s lacking, you also feel physically depleted.
In order to understand the best way to exercise effectively during your menstrual cycle, you need to get to know your cycle.
Understanding your menstrual cycle
Although there isn’t a ‘typical’ menstrual cycle, we can break it down into two broad phases:
- The follicular stage (when your period starts until ovulation)
- The luteal phase (from ovulation until your next period starts)
During the follicular stage, your body produces more estrogen which may boost your energy levels and increase your stamina for exercise. When your body enters the luteal phase, you produce more progesterone so you may feel more tired and also warmer than usual.
In order to know exactly what works for you and your body, try tracking your period and your experiences with exercise during your cycle.
How to exercise during the different stages of your cycle
Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say exactly what you should or shouldn’t do. There’s also very little research done into the menstrual cycle’s role in athletic performance. With that being said, here are some very loose guidelines:
Follicular stage
- Use the extra energy for more high-intensity exercise, such as HIIT training, circuit training and strength training / weightlifting
Luteal phase
- Focus on lighter activities like yoga, pilates, walking and cycling to help reduce PMS symptoms
4 ways to manage menstrual cycle symptoms to boost exercise performance
Increase your electrolytes
If you have a big workout or competition during the PMS phase of your cycle, preloading your system with electrolytes will help.
Adding sodium-rich fluids the evening before will raise your blood plasma volume and V02 levels, leading to less cardiac effort and more aerobic power. This, in turn, makes it easier to cool down. Great options include chicken broth, miso soup, or a sports drink with high sodium.
Manage inflammation
What we eat impacts our body and well-being. If your body is inflamed due to poor nutrition, then it's very likely you will experience painful stomach cramps. The fix? A diet low in processed foods (vegetable oil, sugar, cheese bread) and high in omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish such as salmon, eggs, flax seeds, walnuts, spinach).
If you hone in on your nutrition, especially 7 to 10 days before your period begins, you’ll notice a dramatic decrease in inflammation.
Supplements are another great option. Dr. Stacy Sims recommends taking 1 gram of Omega-3s, 45 milligrams of zinc, and 200 milligrams of magnesium in the evening. You can also add 80 milligrams of aspirin or white willow bark. These supplements will help decrease inflammation, bleeding and other PMS symptoms.
Increase your blood sugar levels
You burn more calories during your premenstrual phase, so it’s only natural your body keeps your hunger hormones working overtime. Instead of inhaling that XL pizza, increase your unprocessed carb intake during certain meals!
Use music to boost your mood
It's proven that music positively affects our performance. So, when you’re feeling lethargic, tell Alexa to play your favourite song to get you fired up and feeling happy! Get creative and make a go-to playlist. It really helps!
One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
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