Finding what exercises work best for you is a challenge. From pilates to yoga to running, there seems to be an endless amount of workouts that you can do to benefit your health. But how do you know how often or when the best time to do these workouts is? This week, I’m going to discuss how to plan your workouts to maximize your energy levels from the lens of the menstrual cycle, so you can reach your fitness goals without feeling drained or unmotivated.
The first step in figuring out what workouts work best for you and when the best time to do them is figuring out what phase of your cycle you are currently in. There are four phases in a female’s menstrual cycle, and each phase has different production levels of progesterone and estrogen which are influenced by hormones. Two hormones are the Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the luteinizing hormone (LH), which are produced by the pituitary gland due to another hormone called the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).