Should you be exercising according to your menstrual cycle?

For people who menstruate, listening to and learning about the different phases of your menstrual cycle could hold the key to achieving more and recovering faster from your workouts. Photo / Getty Images

Could understanding and aligning your workouts with your menstrual cycle be just the exercise transformation you’ve been looking for? According to Kim Harkness, an Auckland-based personal trainer, by tuning into the unique phases of the menstrual cycle, women can optimise their training, enhance their performance, and feel better both physically and mentally.

We’ve all seen the ads. The ones where women confidently run, swim, practise yoga, and play sports with the help of Tampax, Kotex, and other well-known menstrual product brands. It’s a narrative that’s become part of everyday life for women thanks to the modern innovation of period care products, but should we really be putting our bodies through vigorous exercise regimes while bleeding?

Dr Stacy Sims, a renowned exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist specialising in the female body, has authored numerous scientific publications and books on the subject. Her groundbreaking research focuses on how women can optimise their training and nutrition by understanding the unique aspects of their menstrual cycle. Her research shows our focus on the ways women exercise should deal with not only the early follicular (or menstrual) phase but at every phase of the menstrual cycle.

For personal trainer Kim Harkness, who has a Bachelor of Science majoring in physiology, sports science and nutrition, Sims’ research provides an important foundation for the way she trains her female clients in both individual and group training sessions.

Her Auckland-based business, The Bod Mother, offers science-based group fitness classes that focus on physical and mental wellbeing through a spectrum of weights, cardio and Pilates-inspired exercises. She also offers personalised training for those with more specific needs or schedules.

“If women choose to tell me what part of their cycle they are on, I adapt training accordingly by downgrading, upgrading or removing weights from their sessions,” she explains.

How can menstruation affect people?

Common symptoms such as cramping, bloating, fatigue, and headaches can make physical activity challenging. Cramping, which is caused by the uterus contracting to shed its lining, can be particularly painful and may limit movement or intensity of exercise. Bloating, a result of hormonal changes and fluid retention, can cause discomfort and a feeling of heaviness, making high-impact activities less appealing.

Additionally, many people experience fatigue and a general lack of energy during their period, largely due to hormonal fluctuations and blood loss. This can make it difficult to maintain regular exercise routines or push through intense workouts.

Other common complaints include mood swings and irritability, which can affect motivation and focus. Some individuals may also suffer from menstrual disorders such as dysmenorrhea (painful periods), menorrhagia (heavy bleeding), or premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which can exacerbate these symptoms and further hinder exercise efforts.

These challenges highlight the importance of understanding and adapting exercise routines to align with the menstrual cycle, ensuring that physical activity remains beneficial and manageable during all phases.

Aerobic exercise and yoga have been shown to help with menstrual pain. Photo / 123rf

Training tips for each phase of your cycle

The phases can typically be divided into the early follicular or menstrual phase (days 1-6), mid-follicular (days 7-14) which includes ovulation (days 13 to 15), the luteal phase, which can be divided into early luteal (days 15 to 21) and the mid-luteal (days 22 to 28).

Harkness says that during the early follicular phase, when your hormones are at their lowest, the body is primed to take on stress and adapt to heavy training.

“This is a great time to do high-intensity workouts, heavy resistance training, and recover well,” she explains.

“Even with heavier bleeding and cramping, a few sets of 20-second sprints will help promote a boost in growth hormone and anti-inflammatory responses to help get through these few days. But if you feel like you need to rest, go for it; listening to your body is key.”

Aerobic exercise and yoga have been shown to help with menstrual pain. A study published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion demonstrated that regular aerobic exercise reduced the severity and duration of menstrual pain among participants.

The training advice for those in the mid-follicular phase is similar to the early follicular phase.

“Around ovulation, you’ll have a surge of oestrogen, so this is another good time for high-intensity, heavy resistance training,” says Harkness. During this phase, you may also experience a deeper, more restorative sleep which aligns with the body being at a lower core temperature.

Around week three the early luteal phase begins. Harkness explains that this phase similar to the early follicular phase to start with, but after the first couple of days, oestrogen and progesterone begin to rise as the body prepares the uterus for possible pregnancy.

“This phase reduces stress resilience, alters our immune system to be more pro-inflammatory and increases our fight or flight response,” she says, recommending moderate training and steady-state aerobic workouts, such as walking, jogging, biking or dancing; cardio-based activities that don’t involve a dramatic change in intensity throughout.

When in the mid-luteal phase in the days leading up to menstruation (typically days 22 to 28), many women may experience premenstrual symptoms. This is the time to work on technique, mobility and functional strength, says Harkness.

By following the natural physiology of the body, Harkness reports that many of her clients find they recover better post-workout and progress quicker.

During the early follicular phase the body is primed to take on stress and adapt to heavy training. Photo / 123rf

What role does nutrition play?

Harkness says that while there is a lot of advice around about what you should or shouldn’t be eating throughout your menstrual cycle, most of it isn’t yet backed by science. Instead, we should be learning to pay attention to how our bodies respond to different foods.

“As you track how you feel in different phases of your cycle, it may also help to track what you eat to see if any patterns emerge,” she says.

“The optimal nutritional guidance for you will depend on a lot of variables, including your daily schedule and how you metabolise different nutrients. For example, you might find that eating a lot of dairy leads to more bloating in your luteal phase, while others find that high protein dairy helps them feel satiated, making it easier to manage cravings.”

If you’re looking for a starting point, Harkness recommends taking a simple approach of prioritising whole foods and limiting sugar, caffeine and alcohol where you can. And be sure to drink plenty of water, especially if you suffer from cramps during your period, as being well hydrated can help to reduce pain and inflammation.

Fostering an open dialogue around the menstrual cycle

The growing conversation around menstruation and exercise is a positive step towards normalising and understanding the unique needs of female physiology. Local company Femmi – an app for female runners – is at the forefront, debunking myths about exercising during your period and offering evidence-based guidance for women athletes.

The growing popularity of period-proof underwear brands like AWWA and Hello Period are specifically designed to provide comfort and protection during everyday activities, including workouts, making it easier for women to stay active throughout their menstrual cycle. Both also actively use social media to empower women to listen to their bodies and be proactive in understanding their unique cycles.

As awareness continues to increase, it is crucial that trainers, healthcare professionals, and society at large embrace and promote this knowledge, ensuring that every woman feels confident and capable throughout her entire menstrual cycle.

Lucy Slight is a beauty and lifestyle columnist for the NZ Herald. She has worked in print and digital publishing for the past 17 years in New Zealand and Australia, across several well-known fashion, beauty, entertainment, food and home titles. Recent insight includes the skincare that tradies actually use, ditching your gym membership to save money, and how to care for your hands this winter.