Take Control of Your Hormones With This Cycle-Based Workout Plan

Your hormones control so many of your most important bodily functions, and you shouldn’t ignore them. Sync your hormones with your athletic progress using this cycle-based workout plan.

Key Takeaways:

• Use this cycle-based workout plan to make the most of your time in the gym.
• Find out how your hormones affect your muscles, endurance, and athletic performance throughout your menstrual cycle.
• Learn how to tailor your workout plans to your menstrual cycle for optimal results.

Get the fitness progress you’ve been aiming for using our cycle-based workout plan!

Table of Contents:

1. Fitness and Female Hormones: Is There a Link?
2. The Four Phases of Your Cycle
3. Menstrual Phase Workouts: Take Things Slow and Easy
4. Follicular Phase Workouts: Kick Things Up a Notch
5. Ovulatory Phase Workouts: Take Advantage of Your Energy and Endurance
6. Luteal Phase Workouts: The Best of Both Worlds
7. Dominate Your Cycle With PureBalance™ PMS

Fitness and Female Hormones: Is There a Link?

In short, yes, there is a strong link between your menstrual cycle and your fitness journey.

Women’s hormones are complex and are still being studied by scientists worldwide. You might think you can do the same workouts all month long and make progress, but this isn’t necessarily true.

The two female sex hormones are estrogen and progesterone. Throughout your menstrual cycle, levels of these hormones fluctuate and, in turn, change how your body functions.

When your hormones fluctuate, it can affect your:

• Energy
• Endurance
• Muscle mass
• Weight
• Water retention
• Cortisol
• Sleep patterns
• Vulnerability to injury

These factors all influence how your fitness journey progresses, which is why it’s so important to sync your workouts with your cycle.

The Four Phases of Your Cycle

Menstruating women go through four distinct phases in each menstrual cycle. During each phase, your estrogen and progesterone levels shift and dictate how energetic and strong you feel.

Learning about each menstrual cycle phase can help you tailor your workouts to your cycle. Here’s what you should know about the four cycle phases.

The Menstrual Phase

The menstrual phase starts on day one of your period and ends when your period stops. This usually lasts for three to seven days in healthy menstruating women.

During the menstrual phase, your estrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest. This can result in a drop in energy, endurance, and nutrients, which certainly affects your workouts.

Women who wish to sync their workouts with their cycles should keep in mind that during the menstrual phase, it’s essential to rest and rejuvenate. Don’t push your body too hard during this phase.

The Follicular Phase

The day after your period ends, the follicular phase begins. For most women, the follicular phase lasts seven to ten days.

Your estrogen and testosterone levels rise throughout the follicular phase. As a result, you’ll likely feel energetic and clear-minded and experience a higher sex drive.

The Ovulatory Phase

Ovulation occurs when your ovaries release an egg into your fallopian tubes. This is when pregnancy can occur.

Estrogen and testosterone levels are at their highest during the ovulatory phase. This means you’ll likely feel creative, energetic, happy, and positive during your ovulatory phase.

The ovulatory phase lasts for two to three days in most women.

The Luteal Phase

After the ovulatory phase, the luteal phase begins. This is the bulk of your monthly cycle, lasting for 12 to 16 days every month.

Your estrogen and testosterone levels drop, and progesterone levels begin to rise throughout the luteal phase. During the first half of the luteal phase, you might still feel energetic and confident, but as it goes on, you may experience declines in energy and creativity.

You may also feel particularly hungry and stressed during the luteal phase, so avoiding intense, strenuous exercise is crucial.

Menstrual Phase Workouts: Take Things Slow and Easy

During your menstrual phase, your body needs time to recover and rest. Since you’re at a weaker point fitness-wise, it’s best to go “low and slow” with your workouts.

We highly recommend flexibility training and walking during the menstrual phase. These active-rest workouts keep your body moving while taking the stress off of your muscles and circulatory system.

Yoga is a wonderful option during your menstrual phase. It allows you to stretch and gain flexibility without stressing your system too much.

Follicular Phase Workouts: Kick Things Up a Notch

During your follicular phase, your body is more efficient at fat-burning and energy production. This means you can amp up your workouts and do more cardio and strength training.

Running, cycling, hiking, and weight lifting are all good workout options during your follicular phase. You can take advantage of your increased energy without overloading your system.

Ovulatory Phase Workouts: Take Advantage of Your Energy and Endurance

You have the most energy, endurance, and strength during your ovulatory phase. This is the time to kick your workouts into high gear and push yourself.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) pushes your muscles and cardiovascular system to the edge, making it the perfect ovulatory phase workout. You can burn through excess energy and tear through body fat using HIIT workouts in your ovulatory phase.

HIIT workouts usually involve intense cardio followed by short rest periods or active movement. You should still listen to your body, but don’t be afraid to push yourself extra hard during this phase.

Luteal Phase Workouts: The Best of Both Worlds

During your luteal phase, you have better opportunities to build lean muscle mass. Lean into this advantage by prioritizing strength training along with light walking to keep your cardiovascular system healthy.

You may experience more positive mental health while also having plenty of energy to work out. Make the most of your luteal phase by lifting weights and getting active outdoors, if possible.

Dominate Your Cycle With PureBalance™ PMS

PureBalance™ PMS is our premium menstrual cycle support supplement. Taking PureBalance™ PMS as directed can help relieve the worst of your PMS symptoms during your luteal and menstrual phases in your cycle.*

Take control of your hormones and symptoms by syncing your workouts to your cycle and taking PureBalance™ PMS!*