One of the clichés in fitness circles is “no pain, no gain” — but experts are now encouraging women to listen to their bodies.
‘Cycle syncing’ involves synchronizing your exercise program with your menstrual cycle to maximize fat loss, muscle gain and cardio.
When a woman is furthest from her period, energy levels are highest due to increased blood circulation and the prevalence of female sex hormones.
During menstruation, a woman’s blood loss causes her to tire more easily because less oxygen is circulating through her body.
The image above shows how to synchronize your menstrual cycle with your exercise regimen. Fitness instructors said it was important to work out on at least two rest days a week
Fitness coach Kylie Churnetski (left), based in Nashville, Tennessee, is among those urging women to sync exercise with their menstrual cycle. Yoga instructor and mother of three Ashley Sondergaard, of Minneapolis, Minnnesota, is among those who say the practice has been “quite transformative” for her workout routines
Tennessee-based fitness coach Kylie Churnetski backed the fitness hack, telling DailyMail.com, “We live in a man’s world in the sense that many of our fitness regimens are often one-type-fits-all — and that fits a man’s view.” . .
“But if we start focusing on our menstrual cycle, we can put the puzzle pieces together.”
She added, “If you’re pushing yourself too hard and it’s not what your body needs, you often burn out and feel like a failure for not succeeding.”
“But you were never cut out to succeed like that.”
There is scientific evidence that cycle synchronization can help a woman lose weight.
It includes a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which followed 31 women for six months.
The paper found that women who matched their diet and exercise to their cycle lost about 14.3 percent of their body weight and 1.5 inches from their waists.
Women who underwent only a diet and exercise plan, but were out of sync with their cycle, lost an average of 8.3 percent of their weight and 0.61 inches from their waists during that time.
There is also a suggestion that tailoring a woman’s diet to her menstrual cycle can also help, as it can help her mood and feel more energetic.
Experts at Anglia Ruskin University, a sports research center in the UK, say that while the measure can help women lose weight and stay fit in practice, many struggle with the technique due to natural shifts in their cycle.
They wrote in the Conversation: ‘First, most studies on the influence of the menstrual cycle on fitness assume that the cycle has a regular 28-day pattern.
“But 46 percent of women have cycle lengths that fluctuate by about seven days — and another 20 percent show fluctuations of up to 14 days.”
They also said that fluctuations in progesterone and estrogen levels vary between each cycle, which affects how much energy a person has and their mood.
The Anglia Ruskin team concluded: ‘So while the idea of synchronizing your menstrual cycle with your workouts may seem logical, the results each person sees will likely differ.’
Proponents of cycle synchronization urge women to engage in vigorous exercise during the follicular and ovulatory phases of their cycle, usually days eight to 15.
During the follicular phase, a follicle in the ovary grows and matures into an egg cell, which is then released during ovulation.
During this time, estrogen levels rise and then peak when an egg is released, boosting women’s energy levels.
Fitness instructors say now is the best time to tackle more intense exercise, such as cycling, running, crossfit, and high-intensity workouts.
Women can also focus on lifting weights at this time, perhaps even lifting heavier weights or trying more sets and reps than usual.
Kim Perry, a fitness instructor in New York City, recommends cycle synchronization and says it sometimes even allows her to do two workouts a day
In the luteal phase, from about day 16 to 28, the egg travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus.
Progesterone and estrogen levels also rise, boosting energy, causing the uterine lining to build up, but halfway through it begins to drop.
On average, they bottomed out during menstruation — from day one to seven — when the uterine lining is shed and a woman menstruates.
During this period of lower energy levels, fitness instructors recommended tapering down and focusing on low-intensity workouts such as yoga, pilates, a light swim or even just a walk.
They also told DailyMail.com that it was essential to fit in at least two rest days each week, no matter what cycle phase one is in.
Rest days are essential to give the body time to recover and repair and strengthen cells that were stressed during a workout.
Women who have synced their practice and now swear by the practice include Ashley Sondergaard, 36, a yoga instructor and mother of three based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“When you’re in the stage of life as a mother, it’s quite transformative,” she said.
“It’s like the body is literally speaking to me. I realized I could conserve my energy more and really enjoy the experience of my cycle.”
Kim Perry, a fitness coach in New York City, has also laid out the benefits of cycle synchronization.
She said on her “You’re Glowing” podcast that the method has allowed her to do even two high-intensity workouts on days when she’s in the follicular and ovulatory phases.
She recommended the method, saying, “If you want to work out, maybe get up one morning and do HIIT workouts for the next three weeks to get your butt in shape.”
“But if you get to day four and you have a period, your body doesn’t want to and your body is telling you to rest.”