David Beckham’s personal trainer Shona Vertue shares how she adapts her training around her period

The Australian personal trainer credited with introducing footballer David Beckham to yoga has revealed the three ways she tailors her training around her period to get the most out of her body.

Elite gymnast Shona Vertue, who is from Sydney but lives in London, said your menstrual cycle has a huge impact on how you feel and perform when you exercise, and there are some key things you can do to ensure you get the best results.

‘Still confused about training around your period?’ Shona posted on instagram.

‘These are the three things I do to modify my training before my period.’

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1. Increases your hydration

The first thing the PT said she does religiously in the days leading up to her period is to increase the amount of water she drinks.

“Core body temperature rises after ovulation during the luteal phase, increasing the body’s need for water,” Shone said.

Dehydration increases blood viscosity, making everything (including exercise, cognition, and body temperature regulation) difficult.

Ideally, Shona should consume between two and three liters of water every day, and if you’re someone who struggles to consume that much, she recommends adding lemon or lime or other fruits for flavor.

2. Reduce the amount of weight you lift

The second thing that David Beckham’s yoga instructor does is that she always reduces the load she lifts in the gym, without increasing the repetitions.

“I mainly focus on technique and mobility,” Shona said.

‘This is what I do the week before, not the day I bleed. Usually, during my period, I am quite strong and there is a good reason for that.’

She added: ‘Hormonally speaking, we’re actually in great shape to lift weights or work at a higher intensity during our period.

“However, as someone who bleeds a lot, there are some logistics involved that make me NOT want to lift at a higher intensity on day one. But by the third day I am very well and can comfortably return to training to work hard.’

The best advice is to pay attention to your cycle and how you feel on different days, and adapt your training and diet accordingly.

3. Increase Low Intensity, Steady State Cardio Workouts

Finally, Shona said she’ll be increasing her low-intensity, steady-state cardio in the lead up to her period, particularly walking.

“Not only is it good for mental health, but it also helps to massage the ascending and descending colon, which helps to alleviate any digestive jams I have before my period,” she said.

Shona also said that walking can help tremendously with menstrual cramps.

Speaking previously to FEMAIL, Melbourne fertility expert Nat Kringoudis revealed how ‘hacking’ your hormones is the ultimate solution to becoming healthier, slimmer and happier.

According to Nat, when your hormones are out of balance, you can experience problems with all sorts of things, from your menstrual cycle to your mood.

“We may find our appetite is out of control and everything is more difficult,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘On the contrary, when our hormones are balanced, our body works with less effort. It’s easy to see, our hormones really need us on their side, to do what we can to support them.’

To support your hormones, Nat said, it’s all about reassessing your attitudes toward sleep, diet, and exercise.

This is where the 8 x 8 x 8 rule comes into play.

“That’s eight hours on, eight hours on, eight hours off,” Nat said.

If you subscribe roughly to this, you will automatically feel more balanced.

So it’s all about adjusting your diet and exercise so your hormones are more in sync.

“An ideal day on a plate for your hormones includes plenty of fat and protein, since this is what hormones are made of,” Nat said.

“It’s best to keep raw and cold foods to a minimum, as they are hard to digest and can lead to a number of problems, including bloating and pain.”

Ultimately, it’s about filling your diet and life with things that will make you feel better and getting rid of inflammatory foods and other triggers that throw you off balance.

“Drink chamomile tea as it will help keep you calm and can also help ease cramps associated with menstrual bleeding,” Nat said.

She also recommends filling your plate with Vegemite, which is “packed with B vitamins that immediately balance estrogen and increase the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin.”