If you’re tried different fitness routines to help solve your period problems, you know on some level that they don’t work for women. Maybe you made progress for a while, but then it stalled. Maybe you never made progress or, worse, your symptoms got more severe when you started a new health and fitness routine. This phenomenon is all too common. I’ve worked with so many women who started a new health protocol—like eating Paleo and doing short, intense workouts—and seen their symptoms get worse.
Why do most fitness routines fail women? Why do many exercise protocols make a woman’s period symptoms worse?
One-size-fits-all exercise plans don’t work for women because women are biochemically different than men. Women need to adopt health-promoting strategies that are designed to work for our unique female biochemistry — which is to say, we need to understand how our metabolism, cortisol, and calorie needs change throughout our 28-day hormone cycle, or our infradian rhythm. I call the infradian rhythm our “second clock,” because it is an innate timekeeper that helps regulate our hormone production. To achieve the results we’re looking for — to improve body composition, lose weight, improve our energy and mood, and erase period problems — we need to understand and support the hormone changes we experience throughout the infradian rhythm.
Why Most Exercise Plans Don’t Work for Women
Women are the biggest consumers of wellness-industry products and protocols. Yet most of the research behind these strategies is conducted on men, and women’s bodies work differently than men’s bodies. Women have unique biochemical needs that go unaddressed by exercise plans built around male-centered research. That leaves women to try different exercise plans, be disappointed, and then try some more. It’s a cycle that causes untold stress, energy, money, heartache, and sanity.
The fitness industry has good intentions. (Many people don’t talk about the gender bias in wellness research. I’m here to change that!) But when different exercise strategies are sold to the public as great for everyone, it can leave women feeling like it’s their fault if they don’t get the results they want. We can start to feel like we must not have done it right or tried hard enough or that we lack willpower.
Lack of willpower is not the problem.
The problem is that women, all too often, are following exercise protocols that benefit men more than women — or, in some cases, protocols that actively work against a woman’s hormones and sabotage her health and fitness goals.
Times up on the gender bias in the diet and fitness industry. As women, we’re biochemically different than men. When we adopt approaches that are designed to work with our unique biological distinctions—when we stop biohacking with the boys—we will start to see results.
The key to biohacking your unique female biochemistry is to understand your 28-day cycle and to match your food and exercise to your natural hormonal shifts. When you sync your self care with your cycle, you’ll experience easier periods, less PMS, reduced bloating, clearer skin, and improvements in weight and body composition. By acknowledging your hormonal reality, you’ll finally be able to look and feel your best.
When Women Should Do High Intensity Training
Here’s an interesting catch-22: historically women have been excluded from nutrition and exercise research because of how our 28-day menstrual cycle affects our metabolism. (Researchers assume it will mess up the data and so instead of designing tests for us, they just leave us out.) But it is precisely because of those hormone changes that we need research into how we should eat and move.
So the research on menstruation and exercise is limited, but not completely non-existent. We know a few things! First, research suggests that women in the luteal phase (the second half of the 28-day cycle) fatigue faster during workouts and need more time to recover. This is one reason to do higher intensity workouts during your follicular phase (the first half of your cycle) and save gentler movement practices, like yoga, for the luteal phase.
We know from another study that a woman’s resting metabolic rate (also known as our basal metabolic rate) decreases during the follicular phase, hitting its lowest point one week before ovulation. So doing high intensity workouts during this phase serves as a counterbalance to a slower metabolism.
What does this mean for scheduling your workouts? Do high intensity exercise during the first half of your cycle. Your metabolism is naturally slower during the first half of your cycle and HIIT training will speed it up. This will help you lose weight and gain muscle.
When Women Should Engage in More Restorative Movement
As estrogen and testosterone drop during the luteal phase, your energy for doing high intensity workouts will wane, too. And while a woman’s calorie needs go up during the luteal phase, her resting metabolic rate also rises. In other words, you will eat more in the last half of your cycle, but you will burn more, too.
As your energy slows in the luteal phase (the second half of your cycle), allow your workouts to slow down, too. Shift from high intensity bouts of exercise to activities like yoga, walking, and easy bike rides. Not only will these types of movements match your energy level (and you won’t be fighting your natural hormonal rhythms, which is counterproductive and unhealthy), but you will get better results, too. If you experience estrogen dominance (and almost every woman with period problems does), exercising hard all the time can backfire (I wrote more about why that happens here).
In the end, the biggest takeaway is that a woman can’t exercise the same way every day and expect to see results. When you align your exercise with your menstrual cycle, you can finally look and feel your best.
The Best Strategy for Timing Your Workouts
How can you create a sustainable exercise schedule that matches your menstrual cycle, delivers results, and fits into your busy life? By relying on the intuitive wisdom of your hormones, of course!
If you’re already a fan of FLO Living, then you’ve heard me talk quite a bit about synchronizing your diet and lifestyle to your natural hormonal fluctuations. It’s a system I call The Cycle Syncing Method™, and it’s the key to transforming your overall health. The first step is to track your cycle, which I recommend doing with the MyFlo app.
The next step is to modify the type of activities you do each day and adjust the timing of your workouts depending on where you are in your cycle. This will allow you to play to your strengths, and get the results you want, all month long. Start by moving HIIT workouts to the first half of your cycle and less intense exercise to the second half of your cycle.
How Long Should Each Workout Be?
How Long Should Each Workout Be? Also keep in mind: It takes about 30 minutes of exercise to burn through all the glucose in your bloodstream. Once that’s gone, your adrenal glands pump out cortisol to trigger metabolic changes that help sustain your energy for a longer workout. Namely, your cortisol tells your fat cells to switch to sugar, which your body can use for energy.
While this may seem like a surefire way to melt unwanted pounds, that’s not the case for women with too much estrogen, which is a very common hormonal condition — and one of the primary drivers of a raft of period problems, from acne and PMS to heavy, irregular, or missing periods. When your body is overloaded with estrogen, the circulating sugar gets converted back to fat, perpetuating a vicious cycle.
If you’ve been suffering from period problems, or otherwise suspect that you have a hormone imbalance, focus your efforts on 30-minute exercise sessions.
Workouts For Each Phase of Your Cycle
Here’s the different types of exercise I recommend for each of the four phases of your menstrual cycle:
Menstruation
Workout: Walk – keep your workouts mild, even if you’re not feeling major discomfort.
When: An evening stroll is the perfect way to get some simple movement.
Follicular Phase (the week or so after your period)
Workout: Run or other cardio
When: Mid-day – your estrogen will be low and your cortisol levels will be just right for a challenging cardio burst.
Ovulation (mid-cycle)
Workout: High-intensity interval training or bodyweight circuit
When: Early morning – you’ll have tons of energy during this time of the month, so take advantage of that natural high! Your testosterone is higher during this phase, so whatever you do, feel free to go all out.
Premenstrual/Luteal Phase
Workout: Pilates, yoga
When: Keep it early during the first half, and then transition into the early evening. You might still feel full of energy during the first days of your luteal phase, so feel free to keep doing more intense workouts early in the day. But if you start to experience PMS symptoms in the days before your period, it’s time to tone it down and switch to Pilates or strength training in the early evening. Restorative (yin) yoga before bed can also be hugely helpful in combating issues like moodiness and bloat.
What Happens to Your Body When You Start Exercising With Your Cycle
You can expect to lose weight and gain muscle more easily and sustainably, as well as prevent injury by varying your movement consistently. When you sync your exercise with your cycle, you’ll experience remarkable results. You’ll will also deepen your intuitive sense of what type of movement your body wants and needs every day—and at every phase of your cycle.
The Best Workout Routine For New Moms
For the entire 4th trimester you are in an extended menstrual phase and your food and exercise should match what is recommended for that phase of your cycle.
I know conventional wisdom – or at least gossip magazines – tell us that after giving birth we ought to crash diet and workout like crazy to lose the weight. Well, I lost 40 lbs. worth of baby weight in 6 months without depriving myself and without working out. I knew what my body needed. Many women suffer with adrenal fatigue and thyroid issues postpartum and that’s because they push themselves way too hard and deplete their stores of nutrients, energy, and hormones. Instead, I focused on nourishing myself with bone broth, homemade chicken liver pate, bison burgers, and rest.
I recommend that any woman in the postpartum period first and foremost listens to her body. That’s the key! As you start to feel more energized and ready for movement, track your cycle with the MyFlo app and begin to move according to the schedule I outlined above. Until then, rest!
Always remember that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you. You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
FLO 28: THE CYCLE SYNCING® MEMBERSHIP
A Revolution in Nutrition, Fitness, and Time Management for Women
FLO 28: The Cycle Syncing™ Membership is a revolutionary method for women to care for their bodies and find more flow in their lives. You’ll learn how to shift your self-care to support your cycle and play to the unique strengths you have in each phase. When you begin Cycle Syncing, you’ll start to have more energy for everything that matters the most to you. And, you’ll feel more energized, relaxed, happier and more free in all areas of your life.
Citations
Sleep Med. 2007 Sep;8(6):613-22. Epub 2007 Mar 26. Circadian rhythms, sleep, and the menstrual cycle.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17383933
A prospective study of dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to risk of ovulatory infertility. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jan; 63(1): 78–86.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3066074/
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Nov;44(11):2190-8. Exercise performance over the menstrual cycle in temperate and hot, humid conditions. Janse DE Jonge XA1, Thompson MW, Chuter VH, Silk LN, Thom JM.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22776870
Menstrual cycle and basal metabolic rate in women. S. J. Solomon, M. S. Kurzer, D. H. Calloway
https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/menstrual-cycle-and-basal-metabolic-rate-in-women
Horm Behav. 1987 Dec;21(4):457-70. Food cravings, mood, and the menstrual cycle. Cohen IT1, Sherwin BB, Fleming AS.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3428887
Arch Med Res. 1999 Jan-Feb;30(1):19-22. Changes in insulin sensitivity, secretion and glucose effectiveness during menstrual cycle. Escalante Pulido JM1, Alpizar Salazar M.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10071420
J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 2002 Apr;11(3):225-37. The roles of estrogen and progesterone in regulating carbohydrate and fat utilization at rest and during exercise. D’Eon T1, Braun B.
Hi there! I’m wondering if weight training is alright to do in the first half of my cycle. It’s one of my favorite ways to get exercise.
Thank you so much!
Hi Cydney,
Weight training is great to do at any time of your cycle! Just keep in mind that you may not want to push as hard in your second half. But keeping muscles strong is good at all time : )
XO, Alisa
I was wondering what do you think about exercising and cups. Is it “safe” to exercise with them. I just both lily cup compact from Intimina and I am not sure if I can exercise with a cup. It is tricky to switch from pads and tampons. but I really want to do it for so many logical reasons. Thank you for your answer.
It should be safe. if you notice any discomfort or have concerns about it, please contact your doctor.
XO, Alisa
Hello, I’m in the middle of transitioning to the flo living and already experiencing the benefits. But there’s something I’d like to know: I absolutely love practicing Yoga first thing in the morning. As it is recommended in the book, I just tried to shift my Ashtanga practice to the late afternoon (I’m in the first half of luteal) and to be honest, I hated it. What is the reason for shifting practice to later in the day, and will it be fine if I stick to mornings? Thank you for your reply!
Hi,
It is great to practice in the AM, just please make sure you don’t practice while fasted – have a little bit of carb and protein before practice.
Alisa
Alisa, super curious… Why do you recommend carbs before working out in the morning? doesn’t weight lifting training while fasted increases ketosis aka fat burn?
Hi Evie,
Most of the studies on this have been done on men! Women need to fuel in order not to go into deficiency – female physiology has different requirements to stay healthy and in balance. The greater medical community has left us out of the research because our bodies are too complicated: different needs during different phases, different needs pre and post menopause, different needs if we are on hormonal birth control… you can see how this would be daunting! But it is clear that women are suffering with the lack of attention and study.
XO, Christina – FLO Coach
Hi Alisa –
Wanted clarification on the 30-minute rule.
For walking does it still count for the 30-minutes? I like to go for hour walks during my lunch to get fresh air and move my body in order to help with my piriformis syndrome but since it’s not really high-intensity and just casual strolls would an hour leisurely walk affect cortisol levels at menstrual stage? And would say doing an hour walk during lunch with a 30-minute max yoga/pilates/cardio/HIIT at other times of the day and cycle in addition affect that?
Thanks so much!
Hi there,
You can absolutely walk for longer! Just keep an eye on your blood sugar and make sure you have enough fuel in your system to sustain the walk. Enjoy!!
XO, Alisa
Hi Alisa, I noticed that you recommended certain times in the day for different exercises/phases. What are your thoughts on exercising in the evening? I can never seem to get round to it until sometime between eating and sleeping. Though my workouts aren’t super intense, I don’t know if it’s too much adrenaline before sleep. Would really appreciate your insight on this!
I’m in peri menopause so my cycle is very irregular. How can I apply this and in what way?
Thanks
Hi Alissa! I’ve been following your awhile now, more so with the food, and working on the exercise part. I’m an endurance runner, and train for races throughout the year. I remember reading in the book that a marathon runner noticed better race results during her follicular phase, but did she stop running entirely in the second half of the cycle? I’ve been resting during menstrual, but is there any way to fit in running, even less mileage, during luteal phase?
Hi Alisa,
I have been on a birth control pill where I only get my period once every 3 months for about 12 years. I am a highly active, 40 year old who eats pretty healthy (at least mindfully) and I exercise daily with 1 day of rest per week. I am also in a same sex marriage so birth control is strictly taken to minimize my menstral cycle symptoms. No matter how much I work out, I do increase muscle, but my weight stays the same. I’m wondering what your advice would be regarding my use of the pill and how I might modify my exercise routine to increase fat burning. I am an avid runner (4-8 miles varying tempo 6 days/SK) and I also do strength training almost daily (I usually go 2 or 3 days on, 1 day off-rotating btwn arms, chest , back with legs, core and shoulders).
I am also interested in learning about how to transition off of my birth control pill (I’m wondering if that is why I have such a difficult time burning fat).
I can’t wait until your book comes out, so excited, but is there anything you can tell me now so I can get a jump start on it now?
Thank you,
Tiffany
Hi Alisa,
Lately I have seen a girl that has been promoting a supplement called Ovasitol. This product is a combination of Myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol.
Thank you
YM
I have had irregular periods for years, i went to my family doctor and a fertility doctor, they put me on m-progesterone, i was regular for 5 months straight then it just became irregular again, i have went 3 months without, What can i do to regulate it again?
Hello, just wondering about light dumbbells.. is it okay to do during each phase of our cycle or only during the ovulatory phase?
Hi Britt,
weight training is good during any phase!
Alisa
Hi Alisa,
What about rock climbing? I’ve enjoyed going to the gym and outside every now and then, and was thinking about going more frequently but then I started thinking about how some aspects of it might not be great for women, like:
1 – falling & the impact it has on my reproductive system
2 – the harness putting pressure on my ovaries esp. when I’m repelling/being lowered after I finish a climb
Any thought/knowledge?
Thanks so much!
Hi Alissa! I was wondering about the “when”… stay at home mom with small early rising kiddos. It’s very hard for me to get any kind of real focused exercise in the morning. Will it really come into conflict with my rhythm is I exercise mid day or late day all month long?
Hi Yanic,
No you can exercise when it works for you. Just listen to your body!
Alisa
Hi Alisa, I’m curious to know if those in perimenopause or menopause still experience cyclical hormonal shifts and how one can track these (and adjust lifestyle choices to mirror them)? Do you suggest women without a menstrual cycle listen for personal alignment with the rhythms of nature and the patterns of the moon as well? Thanks!
Hi Alisa!
I am starting to use the cycle syncing method but am confused about workouts. I am about to start the follicular phase. When is the best phase to do a HIIT workout? Follicular or Ovulatory? Will the workouts types be somewhat similar between the two phases? When would it be best to do a barre or vinyasa yoga flow for example? I just signed up with Alo Moves and have access to tons of different types of workouts.
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Alisa!
I have started to cycle sync and have empowered many of my close friends to buy your book (In The FLo) and do the same. I wanted to get your take on indoor cycling. I have a indoor cycling bike and was using it 3-4 times a week along with other strength training exercises. Now that I am cycle syncing, I have cut down on indoor riding in the second half of my cycle but still have the urge to do those workouts. I am currently in the second half of the Luteal phase of my cycle and wanted to do a low impact ride. I would be lying if I said my energy isn’t lower. Even if the workout is low impact, would you recommend doing this or pass based on where I am currently at in my cycle. Thank you!
Hi Alisa- big fan and thanks for your work!
I’ve been speaking to my mum about this, who is currently going through the menopause. I wondered whether you had any insights on how this applies to women at that stage in life?
How often throughout the week should you be exercising? I know you discussed over exercising, but there was also a statement of daily movement. What do you suggest?
Hi Avery,
Great question! It really depends on overall health and adrenal health. You will also want to adapt your workouts to the phase you are in. I talk all about this in my book, In The Flo : )
Alisa
Hi Alisa,
What would you recommend to CrossFit athletes? Currently I train mostly bodyweight/lightweight CrossFit and some cardio or endurance during follicular, followed by more calories and training regular CrossFit during ovulation and luteal and then more calories alongside strength training during late luteal. Normally I don’t train for the beginning half of my menstrual phase, just light walking and mobility/yoga. I then start again when I feel good. Is this a good way to go? Currently my only symptoms around my period is heavy cramp and dark blood on the first day. A bit of acne before but this has improved since quitting caffeine.
Many thanks in advance,
Jess
Hi Alisa,
I see you advise weight training during any phase BUT what about heavy weight training? I’m talking deadlifts, barbell squats…I’m trying to get more of a bodybuilder look and want a 6 pack!!! Lifting for only half of the month feels like it would not be productive so I’m struggling with this cycle syncing you suggest. Do you personally work with any body builders that have seen success pushing hard with heavy weights the first phase and then lifting light the second phase? Thank you for your time and advice! 💜
Hi Kristen, you can still lift heavy in second half if you are fueling properly and not pushing cardio! Make sure the nutrition is there for you though, and don’t forget to recover hard!
XO, Christina – FLO Coach
Hi Alisa,
I love the idea of syncing workouts in the phases of our cycle. I’m confused about the HIIT recommendation, the body of the article seems to emphasize the beginning half of your cycle (weeks 1-2) but the breakdown recommends doing HIIT during the ovulation (week 3). Am I misunderstanding?
Thanks!
Hi Shannon, Thanks for reaching out! So, you will actually be well suited to HIIT workouts for the first 1/2 of your cycle – so right after menstruating through ovulation. Hope this helps : )
XO, Christina – FLO Coach
Needing more support? Please reach out to schedule a session
Hello! I’m really curious/anxious about how all of this works as an athlete? I don’t exactly get to take a week off from my professional training.. is syncing my nutrition and social/personal aspects enough? Will training heavy during my menstrual week throw everything off? Especially when gearing up for competitions.. I have to train pretty specifically.
Thank you!
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
You can absolutely train hard in menstrual week! In fact, you will have access to all of your athletic ability at this time since estrogen and progesterone have dropped and are no longer heating you up internally and slowing you down. Making sure that you are fueling your workouts properly in each phase is critical, as each phase requires different nutrients, different amount of carbs, etc.
XO, Christina- FLO Coach
Hi I’m confused. In the book I the Flo Alisa clearly states that working out hard can back fire and store fat. Your suggestion above is complete opposite from what I’ve been practicing. Can you elaborate please?
Hi Jacqueline, Working out hard all the time without proper fueling and rest can backfire. And you also need to know where you stand with your hormonal health. If you are in a healthy place and you are fueling and resting properly, working out hard can absolutely be part of your life. This will shift from phase to phase, as cardio capacity can downgrade in other phases and you can definitely work against yourself.
I agree with the previous comment. This really goes against what it’s stated in the book, where she clearly expresses that working out hard during Menstruation is not beneficial. And it doesn’t say it once, it says it many times, regardless of your condition and your fueling.
I would say you should cite a source or an article where this is explained in detail.
Thank you
Hi! I am training for a half marathon and don’t know if I could run one if I only trained for the first half of the month. Any tips on this? Can’t seem to find an answer.
Hi. Im 3 months postpartum and breastfeeding. How would I apply this with no period? It took 18months for it to come back with my 1st
Hi Alisha,
your tips are so useful I’ve not worked out in about a month fixing to start back I love strength-building just got in a slump where I wanted to work out. But just wouldn’t go to the gym but I’m starting back this evening. Any suggestions about how to get rest when u work 7 days a week I guess I was just tired I’m a welder and work a weekend job the main problem I think is the nutrition side I’ve never eaten healthy and trying to figure it out but am very busy not much time to cook ugh lol any help on that part. Thanks for sharing.
Hi! I’ve had a hormonal IUD for about a year now. How would that affect my workout routine since the IUD affects my menstrual cycle?
Hi! I have a hormonal IUD and I was wondering if my recommended workout routine would change.
This information all sounds nice and seems naturally intuitive, but I’m beginning to second guess it. Answers for women who are very active simply fall back to “do what feels right” coupled with a COMPLETE lack of answers for every. single. person. with questions about COMMON irregular or absent cycles (due to things like breastfeeding, perimenopause, menopause, or even birth control) make me think there ARE no answers. Very frustrating. And when asked about ketosis the pat answer is just “most of the studies … have been done on men” which is really no answer at all.