Cycle Syncing Through Your Menstrual Phases: How to Feel Your Best
January 20, 2025Did you know your period is just one of four phases that make up your menstrual cycle? The hormone changes you experience during each phase affect you far beyond the week you’re on your period. Learning to sync your wellness routines with the phases of your cycle can help you feel your best all month long.
What are the phases of my cycle?
Your cycle consists of four phases: menstruation, follicular, ovulation and luteal. A typical cycle lasts about 28 days, but it can be shorter or longer. Hormones, stress, sleep and birth control can change the length and symptoms of your cycle.
- Week 1: Menstruation (Days 1-5)
This week begins on the first day of your period. Your estrogen and progesterone hormones drop, causing bleeding as the lining of your uterus sheds. You may also feel cramps and bloating. - Week 2: Follicular (Days 6-14)
Estrogen levels rise to prepare an egg for release. - Week 3: Ovulation (Days 15-17)
Estrogen, luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone peak as the ovary releases an egg. You may have a positive mood and more energy during this phase. - Week 4: Luteal (Days 18-28)
This premenstrual phase may cause bloating, irritability, fatigue, brain fog, and cravings due to rising progesterone levels.
How Should I Adjust My Diet During My Cycle?
Your nutritional needs change throughout your cycle. Eating a balanced diet can help restore lost nutrients and give you more energy.
- Menstrual phase: Replace nutrients lost during your period by eating iron-rich foods like spinach, red meat, beans, and nuts. Pair these with foods high in vitamin C, like oranges or broccoli, to help absorb iron.
- Follicular phase: As estrogen rises, focus on lean proteins (chicken, tofu), healthy fats (avocado, seeds), and complex carbs (quinoa, brown rice). Try to limit sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.
- Ovulation phase: Stick to similar foods as the follicular phase to fuel your high energy. Add nutrient-packed options like berries and veggies such as broccoli or brussels sprouts.
- Luteal phase: If you’re craving sweets, reach for dark chocolate or fruit instead of sugary treats. Complex carbs like sweet potatoes and whole grains can also help balance your mood and energy.
What Exercises Are Best for Each Phase?
The best exercises for you will always depend on fitness level and individual needs. Listen to your body and try to change your workouts with your cycle to maximize your energy.
- Menstrual phase: Low impact workouts and rest are key during this phase. Walking, yoga, Pilates and stretching are good options if you do feel up to exercising.
- Follicular phase: As your energy level increase, ramp up your workouts with low-intensity cardio like jogging, biking, or hiking.
- Ovulation phase: When your energy peaks, take advantage with strength training or high-intensity cardio like kickboxing, spinning, running sprints or high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
- Luteal phase: You might feel less energetic, which can make intense workouts harder. Listen to your body. Focus on lighter exercises like yoga or walking.
What Can Affect My Cycle?
Birth Control:
If you use non-hormonal methods, syncing with your natural cycle is simple. Hormonal birth control changes your natural hormone patterns, but you can still listen to your body’s needs for food and exercise.
Dr. Katie Bernardoni, notes that IUDs such as Mirena, Skyla and Kyleena, do not disrupt the body’s natural hormonal fluctuations like other hormonal birth control methods.
Perimenopause:
Irregular cycles and symptoms are common. Adjusting your workouts and diet to align with hormonal shifts can help ease this transition. A regular exercise routine including weight training as well as cardio is important during perimenopause. Focus on increasing your protein to your body during this transition.
Listening to your body and syncing your routine with your cycle can help you feel stronger, healthier, and more in tune with yourself every day of the month.
Diabetes:
Diabetes can make your period less regular. High or low blood sugar levels can change your hormones, which might cause your periods to come late, skip a month or even last longer. Managing blood sugar well can help keep your cycle more predictable. If you have diabetes, syncing your cycle can help you notice patterns and take better care of your blood sugar during certain times of the month.
PCOS and Thyroid Disorders:
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and thyroid problems can make periods irregular because they change how hormones work in the body. PCOS can cause skipped or unpredictable periods since it affects ovulation. Thyroid issues, like having too little (hypothyroidism) or too much (hyperthyroidism) thyroid hormone, can make periods either longer or shorter.
If you try cycle syncing—matching your food, exercise, and activities to your menstrual cycle—it can be harder when your periods aren’t regular. Addressing the underlying hormonal imbalances with your doctor can help make your periods more predictable and make cycle syncing easier.
What if I don’t have a period?
Not everyone experiences a monthly period, as it can be influenced by the hormones you are taking. Birth control pills or other methods like certain IUDs can lead to very light or absent periods. Other birth control options such as Nexplanon and Depo Provera will also lead to a lack of period. “In all of these cases, not having a monthly period is completely normal. If you are not using any of these hormones and are not having periods, please see an OB/GYN as soon as possible,” said Dr. Cristina Alfieri. If you ever have questions about the frequency of your periods, speak with your primary care provider or gynecologist.
