Why You Need to Try Cycle Syncing
When I discovered cycle syncing, it blew my mind. Everything just clicked and started to make sense.
Like, yes of course the changes in my hormones affect my mood and productivity so I should work my life around that - isn’t that obvious? Well, it turns out no.
I didn’t know about it for a long time and I’m still surprised at how many people still don’t know about it.
To me, it feels like something we should all learn in school, so let’s dive in…
Cycle Syncing 101 - What Is It?
Cycle syncing is matching up your lifestyle, habits, and activities to your menstrual cycle.
It’s about working with your hormones rather than against them, shifting your lifestyle to match what’s going on inside your body.
Your cycle moves in different phases like the moon.
One way of thinking about it is seeing each phase of your menstrual cycle as an inner season.
Menstruation is your winter where you slow down and cosy up.
The follicular phase is your spring where you're blooming with energy and creativity.
Ovulation is summer when you’re feeling your best and brightest.
The luteal phase is your fall or autumn when you start slowing down to prepare for winter.
Tell Me the Juicy Benefits…
Your hormones fluctuate throughout your monthly cycle which impacts all areas of your body including your mood and energy, so when you live in alignment with your hormones you can feel your best, optimise performance, and maximise productivity.
I found cycle syncing a way to help me understand how I was feeling throughout the month. If I felt tired and unmotivated all of a sudden, it was likely just because my hormones were shifting.
Usually, I would push to be more productive, which only made me feel more frustrated and tired. Now, with a deeper understanding of why I feel the way I do, I can be kinder to myself and create that space for rest when it’s needed.
Cycle syncing helps me organise my life better because I know when to advantage of energy peaks and when to plan downtime for relaxation.
Before I learnt about cycle syncing, I went skydiving, which happened to also fall on the first day of my menstrual cycle. Let me tell you, that was not a smart move. I felt awful, had terrible cramps, and almost fainted because of the added stress I put on my body.
I now know, that if I had done the same skydive just a couple of days later, it would have been so much more enjoyable. Yes, I know skydiving can still make you feel sick and there are many factors at play, but trust me, looking back that was just bad timing.
I’ve heard so many other stories from women experiencing the benefits of cycle syncing. It can help optimise your health, help reduce PMS symptoms, and help reach your fitness goals (you can see some of these in the resources listed at the end.)
Let’s Get Into the Science for a Second
Let me explain what’s happening with your hormones, so you understand why you feel the way you do during your cycle.
Menstrual Phase (Winter) First 3 to 5 days
The menstrual phase starts on the first day of your period, this is the beginning of a new cycle. During this time of your cycle, progesterone and oestrogen hormone levels are at their lowest and the uterine lining is shedding.
With hormone levels on the floor, you’ll likely feel more tired and experience low moods. Treat this phase as your inner winter and give your body the rest it needs.
Follicular Phase (Spring) From days 6 to 12
When your period ends, you enter the follicular phase where you’re hormone levels start to increase. The body creates the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) which will kick-start ovulation. Oestrogen and testosterone levels are also rising in preparation for an egg to be released.
Like the increasing temperatures of spring, the rising levels of these hormones might make you feel more energetic, motivated, and creative.
Ovulation (Summer) From days 13 to 16
The short ovulatory phase in the middle of your cycle is like your inner summer. Oestrogen levels are at the highest and testosterone surges to release an egg.
Imagine this as your body’s crescendo, hormones perfectly peaking to make you feel your best with confident, social, and vibrant energy.
Luteal (Fall) Last 17 to 28 days
Your hormones begin to shift again in the last phase of your cycle, the luteal phase. Like autumn gets colder before winter, your body is preparing for menstruation.
You’ll notice energy levels start to decline with the drop off in oestrogen and increase in progesterone - which causes those pesky PMS symptoms. You might feel more sensitive, direct, slow, and focused in this phase.
Sourced from Jennis.com
Nutrition
When your hormones are changing, you need different nutrients to fuel your body’s functions.
At the start of your cycle during menstruation, focus on recovery and reducing inflammation. Incorporate iron-rich foods to replace the vitamins and minerals lost during bleeding. Warm and cosy foods will feel most comforting at this stage, so think soups and stews.
As you move into the follicular phase, support your rising hormones with a colourful nourishing diet. Light and bright foods like salads are great as your body temperature increases.
In ovulation, incorporate food rich in vitamin D and higher-calorie carbohydrates to support your high metabolism and increase in testosterone.
When you enter your luteal phase, nourish your body with proteins and healthy fats. You might start to experience cravings from PMS so add more calcium and magnesium-rich food to help you curb those. You’ll also want to steer clear of overly salty foods as water retention is higher which can cause you to feel more bloated.
There’s so much more to be learnt here if you’re interested. I’ve heard that seed cycling is another great way to enhance your nutrients and better balance your hormones.
Image Credit: Anna Pelzer
Fitness
Adapting your fitness routine to your menstrual cycle can help with your overall wellness.
At the start of your cycle, your body is in a state of stress so it’s time to give it space to breathe and rest. Yin yoga and slow walks are great. Avoid adding extra stress on your body with intense workouts as can increase inflammation in the body and make you feel worse.
As you move into the follicular phase, embrace the increased energy with more high-intensity workouts. It’s a great time to try out a new workout class since you’ll feel more motivated and energised. Weight training, pilates, spin classes, and dancing are all good workout choices for this time of the month. With better access to carbohydrate stores, you’ll find it easier to build and maintain muscle.
Ovulation is your peak performance slot and time to turn up the intensity. If you’re trying to hit a personal best, now is the time to go for it. You’ll feel ready to take on HIIT workouts, cardio training, kickboxing, and heavy-weight training.
You’ll notice your energy drop in the luteal phase so move to lower-impact training. Vinyasa yoga, barre, and body weight exercises all work great here. As you edge closer to your period, restorative movement can be a great way to combat PMS symptoms.
Now I’m a yoga girl myself, and this doesn’t mean I need to completely drop it and switch to the weights during my follicular phase. This helps me understand why I feel more energised and strong at different times, and when is a good time to challenge and push myself.
For me, this looks more like stepping up the pace with a longer Ashtanga class in the middle of my cycle and opting for a slower Yin class towards the end of my cycle.
The key is to listen to your body and do what works best for you.
Image Credit: Ginny Rose Stewart
Work & Productivity
In menstruation, you’re likely to be more in touch with your intuition, so use this time to reflect on your performance from the last month and set your goals for the next one.
Creativity and energy flow more freely in the follicular phase so this is a great time to start new projects. Be mindful not to take on too much at the start of your follicular phase as you’re still recovering from menstruation, and you don’t want to risk spreading yourself too thin.
Ovulation is where you’ll likely feel your most confident and social so hit up the networking events, connect with people, and smash that big presentation. If you were thinking of asking for a raise, this is the best time to do it.
As you wind down in your luteal phase, you may feel less productive and low on energy. Don’t put pressure on yourself here, instead get those admin tasks done and wrap up any projects that require focus, but not creativity. Accept the need for taking a slower pace or you run the risk of burnout.
Image credit: Christin Hume
Lifestyle & Socialising
Menstruation is all about you. You’ll likely want some alone time so focus on going inward and spending time with yourself. Meditation and journaling can be great to tap into your intuition and emotions.
In the follicular phase, it’s time to get out, meet with friends, and try new activities. You’ll be motivated and feel social so lean into that lighthearted and playful energy.
Ovulation is the best time to schedule a photoshoot or go on a date. You’ll feel your most flirtatious and sensual at this time of the month - if ya know what I mean.
As you enter the luteal phase, it’s time to start slowing down as you might not have the energy to be as social and busy.
How to Track Your Cycle
If you want to give cycle syncing a try, you’ll need to track you’re cycle so you can work out which phase you’re in and what your body is doing. Measuring your basal body temperature is going to be the most accurate way with the help of apps like Natural Cycles. There are a tonne of other apps out there to help with tracking your cycles.
One of the apps I love for cycle syncing is 28 by Evie because it gives you so much information at every stage of the cycle. I personally love how it gives me insights into how I might be feeling and my energy levels throughout my cycle. It also has workout classes and recipes which makes cycle syncing super easy, as you can just follow along with the app.
Final Thoughts
While cycle syncing is a great framework to give you a base understanding of what happens in each phase of your cycle, it’s not a definite guide to how you should live your life.
Don’t let this add stress or control you - that defeats the point of going with the flow of your cycle.
We are human beings and our bodies are different. I like to use this to help me tune into my own body and how I respond to each phase of my cycle.
I urge you to just reflect and think about how your cycle might be affecting your experiences, mood, emotions, and energy.
Resources if you fancy learning more:
ZOE Science & Nutrition Podcast Episode with the Female Factor Dr Hazel Wallace
Heal Your Hormones Podcast Episode How to Start Cycle Syncing
The Female Body Bible Book by Dr Emma Ross, Baz Moffat & Dr Bella Smith
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