If you’re a menstruator, you may have stumbled upon the term “cycle syncing” or “cycle syncing workouts” while scrolling mindlessly and endlessly on IG or TikTok (I see you! We all do it!). And if you haven’t heard of it before, cycle syncing is just the choice of changing your habits based on the phases of your menstrual cycle. That includes how you eat, exercise, and general lifestyle.

It can feel kind of intimidating or overwhelming to figure out where to begin with cycle syncing, but Angie Marie has created a straightforward guide called The Cycle Syncing Handbook! With this easy-to-follow and informative handbook, Marie will tell you how to optimize every aspect of your life based on the four phases of the menstrual cycle! Let’s look at Marie’s tips for cycle syncing workouts, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Cycle Syncing Handbook.

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The Four Phases

Here’s a quick look at the four phases of your menstrual cycle:

1. Inner winter: the menstrual phase (days around period)

2. Inner spring: the follicular phase (days between end of period and leading up to ovulation)

3. Inner summer: the ovulatory phase (days around ovulation)

4. Inner autumn: the luteal phase (days after ovulation and leading up to the next period

Workout Without Burnout

The number one priority is making sure you’re listening to and caring for your body appropriately. Many menstruators think they’re not highly active individuals, simply because they’re not competitive. You might not be competing at an elite level or have a competitive mindset, but you might still be exercising at a very high level!

Other menstruators tune out signals from their bodies, ignoring signs and symptoms in the name of linear living. This can lead to injury, burnout, stagnation, frustration, or boredom. Whether you’re an all-around athlete, devoted to one sport, or struggling to fit in enough exercise, it’s worth collecting data about your cycle to give you a clearer picture around how movement affects your wellness, and it’s worth finding cyclical patterns so you can design habits that help you feel your best at all points of your cycle.

Playing with cycle syncing can encourage a variety of movements across a cycle, allowing you to both challenge your body and let it recover to come back stronger. It also teaches you to give yourself grace when you don’t perform the same way every day.

What Does the Science Say?

What we do know:

1. Metabolism speeds up in the luteal phase (after ovulation and before menstruation).

2. Low energy intake (not enough nutrients) affects hormones in a way that can leave you with frustrating symptoms

3. Progesterone is catabolic (it breaks down muscle), and eating enough protein prevents muscle wasting.

4. Negative cycle-related symptoms (like premenstrual syndrome) can make people feel worse, which can lead them not to perform as well.

5. It’s possible to perform your best at any part of the cycle!

Additionally, there are countless anecdotal accounts about how individuals feel and perform at different points of the cycle. That’s why collecting data as an individual is so important. You might find that your premenstrual symptoms get in the way of performing well, while your friend might hit their best performances in the days before their period.

While science is still developing, I encourage you to focus on your own lived experience, including your athletic goals. Cycle syncing your movement can be beneficial to many menstruators for the way it brings awareness to the body’s changes, variety to a training plan, and empowerment in knowing what you need.

Cycle Syncing Workouts

Of course, you can use your cycle to start your plan to get enough exercise per week. Perhaps in one inner season, you focus on moderate-intensity exercise, while in the next you add in more vigorous-intensity exercise. Or maybe you plan group exercise classes for when you’ll feel most social. You could even switch out your two weekly strength-training sessions with different workouts for each season.

You can still have fun with it; the point is that getting enough movement each week is the first step to feeling your best.

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To learn more about what type of movement goes best with each phase/season, grab a copy of The Cycle Syncing Handbook today!