A Guide to Managing the 28-Day Cycle: Do’s, Don’ts, Tips and Tricks for Period Woes
For most women, the average duration of your cycle is 3-8 days. But, what some of us don’t realize is that it doesn’t stop there.
In the past, way before I really internalized the concept, I would ride out the emotions and conform to generic fitness regimes; without any real care other than hygiene checks and dress code adjustments for 3-8 days.
But as I got deeper into my fitness journey, especially when I started running, I stumbled upon several remedies to help navigate my cycle.
This forced me to experiment with what works best or what doesn’t to address the matter before it affected my training and especially my races. Hence this post focuses on strategies that can help manage your menstrual cycle.
I believe this post can also provide some incite for the males as well. Coaches, fathers, boyfriends I hope you stick around.
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5 things you need to know about the menstrual cycle:
#1
It is 28 days long
#2
It is broken into 2 main phases:
- Phase 1 - Follicular Phase | Day 1 -13
- This takes you to ovulation
- Phase 2 - Luteal Phase | Day 15 -28
- This comes after ovulation
- And then back to menstruation
#3
Your menstruation (commonly called your period) can last between 3-8 days
#4
You ovulate on Day 14
#5
Hormone fluctuations are at play; pay attention
Should I exercise on my period?
Let’s start by clearing up one of the most asked questions on this topic.
DO #1
Yes, you should exercise when you are on your period. That is, once you can manage it, of course.
The question is why and how.
Why is exercising recommended when you’re on your period?
Besides maintaining your fitness schedule or for competitive purposes such as a race, exercising while on your period could be beneficial, especially if you can manage it.
Why? During your period, your hormones are testy, to say the least. Hence, using the endorphins generated from your workouts can minimize and even eliminate some of the menstruation side effects, like fatigue, menstrual pain, sadness and even bloating.
Now let’s get to the how.
How? By cycle managing.
In short, the best way to manage your cycle is to plan, prepare and execute.
TRICK #1
Cycle Syncing!
The term was coined by Alisa Vitti, the founder of FLO Living, author of WomanCode and In the FLO, and the creator of the MyFLO paid period app.
For me personally, Vitti’s concept of cycle syncing has revolutionized how I think of my cycle and how efficiently I can navigate my 28-Days.
This brings me to the first tip.
TIP #1
If you haven’t already, get a “period tracker”. It is vital that you know where you are at in your cycle. You can write it down, or if you don’t want that hassle get an app.
This is all part of the planning and preparation phase. Knowing where you are at or what’s next will allow you to maximize (and minimize) the benefits (fallouts) of your cycle.
Just a disclaimer, it takes time to really get the flow right (for me at least).
Also, the world, in general, does not conform to your cycle. Thus, if you are part of a group or a specific competition is aligned to a low period of your cycle. Ladies, we need to adjust.
This brings me to another point. This is not a fixed mould to follow and adopt. You would need to account for fluctuations.
Let’s sync!
To best illustrate, I decided to break the cycle into periods of green and yellow, with varying hues to signify intensity.
Green areas indicate high-intensity days. Yellow indicates low-to-moderate intensity (or cautionary) days in our cycle. To get more information on the hormone levels associated with your cycle, check out this website.
Menstrual Cycle - Day 1-7
It is recommended that during the menstruation period, you exercise caution when working out, given that your estrogen levels will be low. Hence, resting, walking, or light yoga is great during this period.
If you are feeling okay and can workout as normal, do you boo. Being aware of your body is what’s important.
As you leave Day 1-3, you will start to feel like your energy is building up again. This is natural because your highest/strongest period is the follicular phase.
Menstrual Cycle - Day 8-14
The post-menstruation period and pre-ovulatory phase is the best time to boost your cardio and strength training. At this stage, your estrogen levels would be peaking.
Menstrual Cycle - Day 15-21
As we enter the luteal phase, your energy level will be dipping (estrogen levels are decreasing) but will still be there. You can continue high-intensity training, especially during Days 15-18. It’s also good to switch to more body-weight workouts.
Menstrual Cycle - Day 22-28
As we end the luteal phase, it’s okay to feel like you are losing strength and becoming more fatigue. At this point, your estrogen levels are low. Hence, medium-to-light intensity workouts are fine at this stage of your cycle.
Plan, prepare, execute
Now that you have a fair idea of what to expect tailor your fitness schedule to your cycle.
10 things you could do differently on your period
#1 Avoid cold drinks.
#2 Drink a cup of tea 30-60 mins before and after your workouts.
#3 Take a mild pain killer before any strenuous activities (eg. long runs or races).
#4 Always have on hand a quick snack (my go-to was GNC Lean Shake) and pain meds.
#5 Avoid walking barefoot on cold titles a week before. It’s strange, but I have tried and suffered for breaking that rule.
#6 Avoid caffeine. For me, this helps to regulate my mood.
#7 Avoid prolonged periods in wet garments. Immediately after training, change into something dry.
#8 Increase your hours of sleep.
#9 Change the colour of your clothing. My go-to colours are black and wine.
#10 Self-care.
Takeaways
Your cycle can work for you if you let it.
And, though I offered a model of the menstrual cycle, everyone’s period is different so adjust to suit your personal cycle.
Lastly, I know this topic is popular, and like I always advise, you should always seek professional opinions on the subject before making any decisions.
DO, workout on your period
DON’T rush into adjusting to cycle syncing, it’s a gradual adjustment
TIP, get a menstrual cycle tracker
TRICK, sync your fitness schedule to your cycle
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7 Comments
Anonymous
Nicely done
dosdontstipsandtricks
Thanks!
dosdontstipsandtricks
Much appreciated!
Marcia Yearwood
Thank God I no longer menstrate..it was very intense and painful. Your blog would have been helpful to me and I’m sure it will be to others too. God bless and keep up the good work.
dosdontstipsandtricks
Thanks, Marcia, I really hope so. I really appreciate the feedback.
Denise
Good stuff
dosdontstipsandtricks
Thanks Denise, as always!