How to cycle sync your workouts

Did you figure out your Peak Time to workout yet?  If so, did you shift anything around in your schedule and see changes in your energy or performance?

Hope so.  I've got another fitness hack to help you plan your workouts.

Cycle syncing.

You can use your monthly cycle to help guide you with exercise.

Cycle check in (for females): 

Where are you in your monthly cycle? 
 
Your body needs different activity and has different energy levels based on the changes in hormones you go through each monthly cycle. 
 
Paying attention to and respecting these needs throughout the month will help your body have more energy and perform better with less effort.
 
In general, you want to be gentle and take it easy while you are bleeding and start to ramp up exercise during the middle of your cycle.  You want to ramp down as you approach the end of your cycle. 
 
Beginning of your cycle (Days 1-5): focus on Rest/Reflect/Relax activities (i.e. naps, meditate, gentle stretching/walking). 
 
Middle of your cycle (Days 6-20): you can train harder and increase the intensity (i.e. strength, cardio, interval training).
 
End of your cycle (Days 21-28): start to taper down training (i.e. yoga, pilates).
                                            
To dig deeper into this, check out the:

• MyFLO free app to help you track your cycle, any PMS symptoms, and for recommendations on food and exercise during each phase of your cycle.
• Kate Northrup's latest book:  DO LESS: A revolutionary to time and energy management for busy moms.

Not bleeding regularly or at all?  You can use the lunar cycle to guide you.  Kate's book talks about this in detail but basically:

• New moons are like the first part of your menstrual cycle. Rest more.
• Full moons are like the middle part of your cycle.  Train harder at this time.

If you are male, you can do this too.  You actually go through all these hormone cycles in a 24 hour period.  Every. Single. Day.  You've got a few options:

• Find your Peak Time to plan your workouts
• Plan your day where your hardest workouts are midday (like mid cycle mentioned above). Consider starting your day with meditation and do recovery workouts later in the day (ramp up then ramp down). 
• Pay attention to how you feel as the moon changes and workout accordingly.  Like do you have a ton of extra energy around the full moon?  Then challenge yourself with your workouts around that time each month.  The moon is affecting you also, just like the tides of the ocean, we are all mostly made of water :-)
  
  

Bottom line for all of us is to tune into our body's signals.  It'll tell you the best time and type of exercise it needs, if you listen.  And be open to changing it up if that's what it needs to feel and move better.

Cycle syncing + working out at your Peak Time will help you get better results with less effort! 

If you test it out, you'll see what I mean.  Give it a go and let me know your results in the comments below.

Enjoy!
Mollie

P.S. Want to feel, move, & perform better in 3 minutes or less?  Download the free MINI MOVES Daily Planner & Cheat Sheet for simple self-care exercises that’ll help your body feel more energy, ease and flow each day.