Sports and exercise are essential for good health and for balancing and/or maintaining your hormones. But that doesn't mean you have to hit the weights daily. In fact, when you listen to your body and cycle and adjust your sports activities accordingly, you do your body a great favor! In this blog, you'll read more about exercising during your hormonal cycle.
Perhaps you've noticed yourself that you have more energy and strength one week than another week in your cycle. This is due to hormone fluctuations, which occur repeatedly every cycle.
Your hormonal cycle
When comparing the different phases of a cycle to the seasons (you can read more about this here), the menstrual phase, for example, can be compared to winter. Your estrogen level is lowest on the first day of menstruation, while the stress hormone cortisol is somewhat higher during this phase. This is perfectly fine, but an extra cortisol peak due to intensive sports activities is best avoided.
After your menstruation, you often get more energy (compare it to spring) and you can easily resume a sport that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat. In the summer phase of your cycle, the ovulation phase, you experience a brief peak in estrogen. This gives you much more energy and is therefore the perfect time to exert yourself at the gym.
Exercising during your hormonal cycle
When you exercise, various hormones are produced, such as endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. All these hormones contribute to a pleasant, happy, and energetic feeling. Light strength training 2-3 times a week is good for your hormones. You can alternate this with walking, swimming, yoga, Pilates, cycling, or any other activity you enjoy.
Winter phase: During menstruation, your body needs rest, and it's good to do light workouts. Rest is most important during the first 2 days of menstruation, as menstruating is already a strenuous activity for your body. Afterward, you can consider yoga, walking, or stretching exercises. Menstruating is, after all, already a workout for your body.
Spring phase: In this phase, you'll notice you're getting more energy and a challenge feels good. During this phase, you can do cardio such as running, cycling, or rowing. You are not yet at your highest energy level, so building up gradually is important.
Summer phase: In this phase, you have plenty of energy. This is the time when you can exercise intensively and exert yourself with dumbbells during a good strength training session. Pick up those weights and work on building muscle.
Autumn phase: You may notice your energy slowly declining now. Exercise is good, but don't push yourself to the maximum. Swimming, yoga, walking, Pilates, ballet, or dancing are great activities during this phase.
