{"id":26409,"date":"2021-10-04T23:09:38","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T23:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=26409"},"modified":"2024-12-05T22:14:22","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T22:14:22","slug":"cycle-syncing-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/cycle-syncing-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"Plan Your Workouts According to Your Cycle with This Easy Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to get more out of your workouts? Your menstrual cycle may hold the key. Hormone expert Alissa Vitti shares how cycle-syncing workouts can benefit you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

There’s a lot of confusing information out there surrounding working out and your period<\/a>. Should you? Shouldn\u2019t you? Does it really<\/em> matter? For some people, the thought of working out while on your period is, literally, a joke. For others, exercise can help ease uncomfortable symptoms like cramps or bloating<\/a>. Or maybe you don\u2019t think twice about hitting the gym or live-streaming your favorite class while on your period. No matter what symptoms you experience during your cycle, you can benefit from cycle syncing exercise in your routine. We’re breaking down the best workouts for each phase of your cycle that include HIIT training, strength workouts, and pilates to name a few. <\/p>\n\n\n

Below, Alisa Vitti (who is the pioneer behind cycle syncing and trademarked the term Cycle Syncing Method) and author of WomanCode<\/a> and In The Flo<\/a> shares what you need to know about cycle syncing workouts and how to do it for best results.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

What is cycle syncing?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n

The idea behind cycle syncing is by “syncing” certain activities, nutrition, supplements<\/a>, or workouts to align with the phases of your cycle, you can optimize your hormones and feel better throughout the month. Some people use cycle syncing as a tool to guide everything from what they eat to how they work and more.<\/p>\n\n\n

Although there is not a ton of solid research on how cycle syncing works yet, there is some preliminary research and enough anecdotal evidence behind the practice to warrant trying it to see how you feel. The principles of cycle syncing largely rely on how your hormones work. After all, when it comes to how you feel throughout the month, hormones run the show.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

“It turns out that having an infradian rhythm, also known as our monthly cycle, causes changes in our metabolism, brain, stress and other systems,” says Vitti. “Simply stated, we’re not the same throughout the 4 phases of our menstrual cycle. We have different calorie, fitness, and nutrient needs depending on which phase we are in,” she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

Because your hormones change throughout your cycle, there are certain ways you can adapt to your cycle and hormone pattern instead of working against your hormones. Again there are tons of ways you can do this, but when it comes to exercise specifically, cycle syncing can help you feel more in tune with your body and workouts and may even help you get better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Menstrual cycle phases<\/h2>\n\n\n

Before diving into how to cycle sync your workouts, let’s do a refresher on each menstrual cycle phase and what’s happening in your body during each stage of a 28-day cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n

“Hormones are the body\u2019s most sensitive signals and control so much more than we think. During your menstrual cycle, your body is undergoing hormonal shifts characterized by four distinct phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal,” says Dr. Suman Tewari, OB-GYN who helped develop fitness concept P.volve<\/a>‘s new cycle-focused training program, Phase & Function<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n

The order of your cycle is as follows (we break it down below, too!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n