Isn’t it time we stopped training on a man’s schedule and started training on ours? This isn’t just a call to women but also an informative tool for all the physical fitness trainers out there, training women on a daily basis. Research around women’s health is finally on the rise and one of the practises being analysed currently, is Cycle Syncing. 

What is Cycle Syncing?

Cycle syncing is a healthcare practice that involves planning your workout and diet schedule around the phases of your menstrual cycle. To put it simply, it involves adapting your lifestyle to your body’s hormonal fluctuations. As you move from one phase of your cycle to the next, the hormone levels and balances change. The change can then cause a variety of mood swings, changes in performance both at work and in the gym, issues with bloating, digestion, stress levels and even anxiety. 

As a woman in her 20s, who works everyday, leads a physically active lifestyle and deals with all the stress life has to offer. Understanding what my body needs, changed not only my physical appearance but also helped me cope with mental stresses, irrational anxiety and bad skin days. So, let me break it down for you. 

There are 4 phases of your menstrual cycle happening within the span of 28 – 32 days. 

The Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5):

When you’re on your period. 

Young women in India have been told a lot of NOs. One of them being that we should

NOT work out on our period, but what if it isn’t about whether we workout and just about what kind of workout we should do? During this phase, the levels of your estrogen and progesterone drop, two important hormones in the cycle. Other than building and maintaining the uterus lining, their hormonal mechanisms contribute to the body’s muscle function and growth, energy levels and sensitivity to stress. They also indirectly contribute to your skin health, mood changes and pain tolerance. The hormone levels through your cycle are constantly fluctuating and hence your body’s different mechanisms respond to those fluctuations. The table below roughly states the hormone fluctuations and the effects they can have during your menstrual cycle. 

Hormonal Profile	Changes in the body
Low Estrogen	Drop in motivation, mood and energy. Possible stomach, pelvic and back pain. Rise in stress levels and anxiety levels
Low Progesterone
Rising Follicule-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Exercise Recommendations: 

Mindful exercise is an important factor here, as discomfort is high. One should be mindfully picking light to moderate intensity activities such as light walking, cycling, gentle yoga or mobility drills. Even body weight exercises with longer breath patterns can help alleviate stress and help with relaxing intra-abdominal/uterine muscles to promote a calmer flow. 

Moreover, most researchers suggest that during this phase, prioritizing rest and following a more individualised program is essential. So listen to your body and don’t be afraid to test out some light exercise activity to see how it could benefit you!

Follicular Phase (Days 6 – 14):

In this phase, you start feeling more ready to take on the world, as your estrogen rises significantly and energy levels are high. 

Hormonal Profile	Changes in the body
High Estrogen, rising	Increase in energy and motivationGreater pain and effort tolerance Balanced moods and better sleep
Low Progesterone
High FSH and Luteinizing hormone (LH)

Exercise Recommendations: 

As the rise in estrogen supports muscle recovery and growth, this is an excellent time to focus on lifting heavy. Heavy weight training with big compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts help capitalise on the body’s influx of energy. It might be one of the best times to push PBs. Moreover, training such as HIIT, cardio and plyos are best supported in this period. Some research suggests they can efficiently help increase power, strength and boost your metabolism, as recovery is well supported in this period

Ovulatory (Days 13-15):

This phase is around your mid-cycle phase when ovulation occurs. Estrogen is at its highest, making you feel energized and motivated. Libido and mental focus may also peak. 

Hormonal Profile	Changes in the body
Estrogen peaks	Good strength and energy levels Optimal  recovery, essential for building strength and enduranceIncrease sense of confidence, allows you to feel “magnetic” Could make you feel more alert and restless
Progesterone starts rising
Almost peaking FSH & LH

Exercise Recommendations: 

Similar to the follicular phase, strength and high intensity activity such as long runners are sustainable. This phase can help foster a stronger mindset and environment so focus on taking advantage of the energy boost. Moreover, longer duration of activity can be easier to sustain and this might also be a good time to sharpen your skills and technique. 

However, certain researchers advise being cautious about overworking or adding undue stress on the body as studies suggest that women are also at a greater risk of injury such as ACL ligament laxity during this phase. Seeking advice from a professional such as an exercise physiologist is recommended. Along with, progressive overload and controlled steady increases in activity. All in all, don’t overexert your body and prioritize rest and recovery in balance with upping your exercise regime. 

Luteal Phase (Days 15 – 28): 

Our last phase to complete the cycle is the luteal phase, where the progesterone increases to build and maintain the uterus lining. The estrogen starts dropping and these changes in turn, affect the body’s physiology in a variety of ways.

Hormonal Profile	Changes in the body
Estrogen starts dropping and stabilising	Slow decrease in energy and strength Slower metabolism and lower motivation Longer Recovery times
Progesterone rises and peaks
Peaking FSH & LH and start dropping

Exercise Recommendations: 

Approximately, a week after you ovulate, the increase in progesterone can indirectly make endurance-based activity such as long distance running, circuit training seem harder and you can experience fatigue earlier. Further into the phase, you start experiencing symptoms of PMS such as bloating, low mood, anxiety and a higher sensitivity to stress. 

Hence, exercise should be kept at a moderate level – creating shorter strength training sessions and keeping endorphins up. This could be a good time to try out new fitness-related activities such as dancing or hiking. Combining alternating days of moderate strength/endurance training with low intensity, calming activities such as pilates and yoga can help stabilise PMS symptoms during the luteal phase. 

My Hot Take 

As an exercise physiologist, I view this practice as an exciting but under-researched area of women’s health. Though women around the world are adopting this new method to gain better health and fitness outcomes, there isn’t enough concrete evidence to state that cycle syncing gives definitive results. It however, does create an interesting prospect, that our hormones play a big role in our physiology and yet we haven’t been eating or exercising to support the changes in hormones women experience every month. Hence this strategy could possibly optimise performance, boost energy, metabolism, reduce risk of injury and even improve performance outcomes by working with the body’s natural hormonal rhythm instead of ignoring it completely. 

Lastly, these general exercise recommendations are more likely to benefit women experiencing a more regular menstrual cycle. If you do present with other conditions such as PCOS, PMDD or other hormonal imbalances, consider a more individualised training program rather than just the general guidelines. 

If you are Ready to Sync Your Cycle with Smarter Workouts?

At Moushu’s Pilates, we specialize in science-backed movement that adapts to your body’s needs—whether you’re in your follicular phase powering through strength training, or in your luteal phase focusing on restorative Pilates.

✨ Join us to experience classes that honor your hormones, improve your strength, and keep you consistent all month long.

👉 Visit Moushu’s Pilates Website to connect with our health professionals who want to bring this science into their practice.