As Dr Stacy Sims has said time and time again, “Women are not small men.” In fact, a woman’s body functions on slightly different rhythms than a man’s. In particular, our energy levels, creativity, and more fluctuate across our monthly cycles.
While some women may not notice much of a difference throughout the month, other women do. If you find your energy levels and focus changing throughout your cycle, this article is for you. With the right knowledge, you can work with your body as opposed to against it. Here’s how!
The Menstrual Phase
During a woman’s monthly bleed, it can help to take things a little bit easier. For instance, focusing on restoration and relaxation can help you avoid feeling overly drained.
When it comes to movement, try doing gentle movement (some is always better than none!) in accordance with your symptoms, pain, or energy. For instance, performing simple stretches and going for leisurely walks is highly encouraged.
Some individuals may further find it beneficial to amp up their magnesium intake, such as by eating dark chocolate or taking supplementation (as needed). As this phase ends, you can gradually increase your activities.
The Follicular Phase
As oestrogen begins to rise and prepare the body for ovulation, performing weight lifting during this time can provide your muscles with the stimulus they need to grow. You may also want to do some aerobic work to improve heart and respiratory health. Eating cruciferous vegetables can further help with oestrogen detoxification, helping eliminate it from the body once it’s been used.
This is also a great time to start on new projects, set goals, and go after them. The follicular phase leaves us feeling more energetic and ready to tackle problems and get creative.
Ovulation
This is actually when women are their most energetic and outgoing. Plan social events around this time. Support ovulation by eating a healthy diet, including oysters, salmon, grass-fed meat, and whole foods.
It’s further important to focus on reducing stress as you move through ovulation and into the luteal phase. This is to support progesterone production (which is a very calming hormone) from the corpus luteum (the leftover egg follicle).
The Luteal Phase
As estrogen decreases and progesterone rises, we can continue intense workouts and productive work time as needed. However, the later half of this phase, you may want to start to back off and leave time in your calendar to relax and rest. It’s also important to not overdo it work-wise or exercise-wise as this can lead to stress on the body which interferes with progesterone production.
Then, the whole cycle happens all over again!
What Else Should You Know?
At the end of the day, it’s important to listen to your body. If you’re feeling more tired than usual, it’s probably not a good day to go hard at the gym and at work, as well as take on a bunch of social commitments.
The truth is women and men are different, and we function on differing cycles. Being aware of these differences can help you live a happy and balanced life.
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