training on your period

Hey Swirly Girlies, have you ever had those training days and everything just kind of clicks? You are crushing your sets and making leaps & bounds towards your goals? Then there are days where you barely make it through a warm up and your body feels like road kill. It can feel frustrating on those low days, especially when you are a goal oriented girly trying to achieve her goals. The reason for the roller coaster of energy and performance is brought on by our periods.

I think there is a stigma about pushing through exhaustion and pain if you want to reach your goals and it is looked down upon if you want to rest / take an easier day. At least for us girls it is important and usually recommended to rest / take it easy during our menstruation phase of our periods.  Instead of fighting the gift mother nature has bestowed upon us, let’s learn to work with them. There are 3 phases we are going to talk about.

The Phases

Follicular:

The follicular phase is the first part of your cycle where you feel like a bad ass. Your period has come and is now gone. Your body has lower levels of hormones which allows you better access to stored carbohydrates. This is prime time to maximize hard training like HIIT or Hypertrophy (muscle gains ) So if you are working on your booty gains, now is the time to train insane.

While our body is in the best position for strength training, it’s not in the greatest iron shape. After the pleasure of bleeding we are low on iron and slightly inflamed due to shedding our uterine wall. Eat high in iron and anti – inflammatory foods. Check out my Anti Inflammatory salad to kill two birds with one stone. Hydration should be easier to maintain now that your body has returned to homeostasis – even and cooler body temperature.

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  • Go for those PR’s and push yourself because HOT GIRLS DO HARD THINGS.
  • Increase your iron intake
  • Get in those Omega 3’s to help fight lingering inflammation
  • Drink the daily recommendation of water
  • Stick with complex carbs like fruit, whole grains, and potatoes.

Luteul:

After feeling like an unstoppable queen our bodies increase our hormone production – specifically estrogen and progesterone – as it prepares for our next period or potential pregnancy. More hormones means a decrease in anabolic or muscle building capacity. Drop the weight down, focus on lower intensity, and more recovery time.

During our luteal phase our bodies lock up access to the stored carbohydrates because of potential pregnancy so fats and proteins are being used instead. Our bodies will need those carbs from our plate, so be mindful of what you eat as your appetite increases. Healthy carbs are your friends here, so eat up to maintain your energy and performance levels. You should also increase your water intake as greater hormone production means greater risk of dehydration.

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  • Tread lightly young grasshopper. Your body is in prep mode, so listen to your body and adjust as needed.
  • Eat up, don’t be shy. Your body needs it because she is using 5-10% more calories during this phase.
  • You are one with the water. Drink a little more to help your body during this phase
  • Eat Healthy fats like fish, nuts, avocado, protein rich snacks, flaxseeds, chia seeds, dark leafy greens, blueberries, blackberries.

Menstration:

Thank you mother nature for all the joys you bring us this week – cramping, tender / swollen breasts, bloating, irritability, headaches, tiredness, low back pain- Here you will probably feel your weakest and depending the severity of your period a day or two off will actually be beneficial. Opt for low intensity cardio like walking, hiking, or yoga the first few days.

Your uterine wall is shedding. You are in pain, energy is low, and hormones are racing. The body needs rest, so provide it with rest.

  • Rest and take it easy babes.
  • Slowly increase the intensity as your period comes to an end.
  • Eat Iron rich foods like dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, beef, chicken, clams, and dark chocolate.
  • Reduce the intake of processed and refined sugars.

I am no expert in this field and do not claim to be, but what I will say is it completely changed my mindset and intentions with how I enter the gym space per phase. I know what my mental and physical are capable of during each phase and know where I need to adjust. For me it is a form of self care and self love. I know cheesy! I encourage my female clients to skip training if a session falls on day 1-3 of their cycle. If they insist I try to focus on mobility and increased correctional work.

All of our periods will affect us differently, because we are beautifully different. This is a blueprint not a law. Adjust where you need and how you need. You know your body best. I hope you enjoyed.

 

xoxo,

Everdina