Should you train based on your menstrual cycle?

Have you ever exercised in a certain way based on your menstrual cycle? 

There’s a lot of talk in the fitness and wellness world about how to optimize your workouts based on where your body is currently in its menstrual cycle.

I’ve seen hyper specific workout plans that are split up into four or five phases (menstrual, follicular, ovulation, luteal, late luteal) and then I’ve also seen recommendations that just split the cycle up into two parts (follicular and luteal). 

Regardless, what ends up happening is we keep certain workouts – strength training, zone 2 aerobic training, HIIT and running, for example – all at different times of the month. Do this type here, do this kind there. 

Do I think you should do this?

Of course, you know my one fitness rule: do what works for YOU. If you enjoy this style of compartmentalizing your workouts, great! Do it.

But do I recommend it?

Well… not especially.

I appreciate the encouragement to listen to our bodies and the validation that certain days we will truly feel more or less energetic – it's just biology after all. 

But at the end of the day, I think there are plenty of barriers to getting enough* exercise already. Why do we want to add more rules, more stipulations?

If you feel well enough to exercise, then exercise as you like, regardless of where you’re at in your cycle. If you feel lousy, maybe you need a rest day or a less intense workout.

That advice feels very intuitive to me, I don’t need to follow a cycle chart to do that, but I do recognize that not everyone can go with the flow (so to speak 😎) as easily. I’ve honed in on this skill over many years and with lots of trust in myself and my body. I can appreciate that not everyone is there and for some, a more detailed instruction sheet of how to workout when may be very beneficial.

But to me, it just seems like too much, easily complicated and we end up missing out.

[Kinda like when we only allow ourselves to do joyful movement.]

If we are only “supposed” to strength train during certain parts of our cycle, but then life also throws us an illness or a busy time at work during the optimal strength training time, we might not pick up a weight for over a month.

And while that certainly happens from time to time because of life, I wouldn’t want anyone who is postpartum, perimenopausal or postmenopausal to be missing so much strength training on a regular basis. It’s too important.

There is one thing I do based on my cycle: I don't exercise on day 1. I’m often so tired and my lower belly can be a bit sore – I just don’t feel like exercising. So I lean into that. As the week progresses, I get my energy back and return to my normal flow (sorry I can’t be stopped 🤣) of workouts.

So what do you think – yay or nay to cycle syncing?

* "Enough” exercise is going to look differently for everyone – don’t compare your enough to someone else’s. ❤